Amphitropic Mesomorphic Phthalocyanines—A New Approach to Highly Ordered Layers

The columnar arrangement of π-stacked phthalocyanines (Pcs) is a promising structure for materials with special optical, electrical, and photo- and semiconducting properties. The requirements for obtaining optimal materials properties are discussed, and approaches towards the synthesis of mesomorphic Pcs that satisfy these requirements and the problems encountered are described. An approach that uses the thermotropic and lyotropic mesomorphism of Pcs with a special substitution pattern is demonstrated to be successful.