Supramolecular Liquid Crystals Based on Cyclodextrins

Abstract

Cyclodextrin-based materials represent an environmentally friendly alternative to toxic liquid crystalline materials. Cyclodextrins are well-known for their cavity and inclusion properties. They are scaffold molecules that can be chemically modified to obtain functional materials for various applications. For instance, amphiphilic cyclodextrins have attracted tremendous interests from researchers of different fields because of their ability to self-assemble and to encapsulate medicines. They can also be designed to form supramolecular liquid crystals. Since the first report of a class of 6-alkylthiolated β-cyclodextrin derivatives that exhibit thermotropic liquid crystalline properties in 1993, there has been only few developments in this area. But there is an increasing interest to develop cyclodextrin-based liquid crystalline materials, owing to their potential utilities in different areas.