Self-organization of a liquid crystalline methacrylate-monofunctionalized crown-ether compound in low-shrinkage acrylate mixtures

Crystallization and supramolecular aggregation of 1,4,7,10,13‐pentaoxacyclopentadecane‐2‐ylmethyl 3,4‐bis[4‐(dodecyl‐1‐oxy)benzyloxy]‐5‐(11‐methacryloyloxyundecyl‐1‐oxy)benzoate (1) and its complexes with sodium triflate are described in solutions of the methacrylate monomers. Formation of a gel was observed covering a rather wide concentration range in the pseudo‐binary phase diagram. In the low concentration regime and at low temperatures, gel formation by elongated crystals of 1 was observed. It was demonstrated that the formation of a crystalline network and the shape of the crystals strongly depend on the cooling rate.