Luminescent liquid crystals: from supramolecular plant dyes to emissive flavylium salts

Abstract

ABSTRACTInspired by the supramolecular architecture of cornflower blue we developed luminescent flavylium salts with lipophilic alkoxy or thioether side chains which self-assemble into liquid crystalline phases. The current account highlights some fundamental aspects of our biological ‘role model’ anthocyanine, the origin of the natural pigment cornflower blue, and our recent developments on novel liquid crystalline emissive dyes. Starting with the general synthesis of flavylium salts, other topics address variations of flavylium ILCs, including specific tuning of their mesomorphic and photophysical behaviour.