Self-assembly of amphiphilic macrocycles containing polymeric liquid crystal grafts in solution

The cyclic architecture of amphiphilic side-chain liquid crystalline macrocycles could weaken the order of cholesteryl mesogens, which finally results in the formation of vesicles and other aggregates in solution, while their linear counterparts prefer to self-organize into cylinders within a long range ordered lamellar periodicity. Amphiphilic macrocycles containing polymeric liquid crystal side-chains are synthesized facilely, and the topological effects on their solution self-assembly behaviors are investigated, compared with their linear analogues.