Novel AIE columnar liquid crystals: the influence of the number of diphenylacrylonitrile groups on the mesomorphic and fluorescence properties

The novel triphenylene derivatives with one, two or three diphenylacrylonitrile groups on the side chain were prepared in yields of 75-83%. The influence of the number of diphenylacrylonitrile groups on the mesophase and fluorescence properties were investigated. The triphenylene derivatives with one or two diphenylacrylonitrile groups exhibited not only the ordered hexagonal columnar mesophase but also good AIE fluorescence properties in both solution and solid state. Triphenylene derivatives with one or two diphenylacrylonitrile groups exhibited not only an ordered hexagonal columnar mesophase but also good AIE fluorescence properties in both solution and solid state.