Self-assembly and luminescence of oligo(p-phenylene vinylene) amphiphiles

A series of amphiphilic molecules consisting of oligo(phenylene vinylene) (OPV) asymmetrically end-substituted with a hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) segment and a hydrophobic alkyl chain is synthesized. This amphiphilic structure induces self-assembly into both thermotropic and lyotropic lamellar liquid crystalline (LC) phases.