Synthesis, Thermotropic Properties, and Applications of Porphyrin-based Liquid Crystals: A Comprehensive Review

Research on novel discotic molecules, which consist of a rigid core with flexible peripheral chains, has gained much attention due to their crucial role as organic photovoltaic materials, organic field-effect transistors, and semiconductors for photocurrent generation, as well as the possibility of their other optoelectronic applications. This review article describes the developments in fundamental design ideas and synthetic approaches of porphyrin-based meso and beta-substituted liquid crystals. In addition, the current review highlights the various structural alterations made by the researchers in the field of porphyrin-based mesogens and changes in properties, both for materials intended for commercially successful liquid crystal displays, including other applications, and for more basic purposes of demonstrating structure-property relationships.