Novel cinnamic-acid-derived hydrogen-bonded mesogens with relatively wide blue phases

Novel chiral hydrogen-bonded liquid crystal (H-bonded LC) complexes had been built from hydrogen bond self-assembly of an achiral nonmesogenic proton acceptor, 4-(4-propylcyclohexyl) phenyl isonicotinate (PPI), and a chiral nonmesogenic proton donor, (S)-4-(2-octanyloxy) cinnamic acid (SOCA). The induced blue phases (BP*s) was found in relatively wide temperature range and broad concentration region, the widest range of which is about 10.5 degrees C, which demonstrate that wide BP* range could be facilely obtained in the different H-bond self-assembly systems.