Recent Developments in Fullerene-containing Thermotropic Liquid Crystals

Background & Objective: Fullerene-containing liquid crystals have attracted considerable attention in a wide variety of fields including materials science, supramolecular chemistry, bioscience, nanoscience and nanotechnology based on the outstanding photophysical and electrochemical properties of fullerenes. This review describes the recent and significant developments of fullerene-containing liquid crystals which displayed thermotropic liquid crystalline phases. Method: Different strategies, such as fullerenes dispersed in liquid crystals, liquid crystals as precursors to prepare fullerene-containing liquid crystals and self-assemble of fullerene derivatives, have been used to obtain such liquid crystalline materials with the enhancement of properties. Conclusion: Liquid crystalline phase behavior of nanomaterials themselves, self-assembly and alignment of nanomaterials in liquid-crystalline media have been discussed in this review. It should be certain that this kind of materials will play an important role in nanoscience and nanotechnology in the near future.