Polyphilic molecules: Synthesis and mesomorphic properties of a four-block molecule

A four-block mesogen composed of three chemically different moieties is synthesized. Its mesomorphic properties are characterized by optical microscopy, differential thermal analysis and X-ray diffraction at small angles, demonstrating a smectic C structure between 92°C and 111°C. The notion of a polyphile is defined and the expected peculiarities of such compounds are emphasized.