Dynamics of Structure Formation in a Discotic Liquid Crystal by Infrared Spectroscopy and Related Techniques

The dynamics of the herringbone structure formation have been studied in a monobromo hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene derivative by infrared spectroscopy and complementary techniques. Selective probing of the vibration modes corresponding to the aromatic core and the alkyl chains, allowed investigation of their role in the phase transformation dynamics over an extraordinarily broad time-window (1-10(5) s). Identical kinetics were found suggesting that both the core and the alkyl chains simultaneously drive the system from the undercooled liquid crystalline to the crystalline phase with the herringbone structure. Journal of Physical Chemistry B