Induction of Liquid Crystalline Phases: Formation of Discotic Systems by Doping Amorphous Polymers with Electron Acceptors

Liquid crystalline behavior and molecular miscibility – in amorphous discoid polymers, and mixtures thereof, can both be induced by CT interactions with a low molecular disk-shaped electron acceptor such as trinitrofluorenone (TNF). The properties of these induced discotic phases can be varied easily and over a wide range by choice of polymer type, electron acceptor, and mixing ratio.