Spectroscopic investigation on shuttlecock-shaped liquid crystalline trimers: Mesomorphic behaviour and its application in optical storage devices

In this paper, we discuss the synthesis and characterization of 2,3,4-tris[<i>n</i>-((4-(-cyanophenyl)diazenyl)phenoxy)alkyloxy]benzonitrile obtained by coupling 2,3,4-trihydroxy benzonitrile and (<i>E</i>)-4-((4-((<i>n</i>-bromoalkyl)oxy)phenyl)diazenyl)benzonitrile, pertain to shuttlecock shaped liquid crystals. The molecular structure was confirmed by NMR spectroscopic and elemental analyzer. The thermal behavior of the trimers was assessed using a polarizing optical microscope (POM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The three diazo groups in the trimers enabled us to study the photo-isomerization effect and evaluate their potential applications in optical storage devices. Importantly, we found these trimers easy to synthesize and process, paving the way for cost-effective alternatives to traditional LC materials. We fabricated an optical storage device to study the light effects on shuttlecock-shaped LC trimers, demonstrating that the geometry of the trimers plays a crucial role in determining structure-property relationships.