The self-contained properties of discotic liquid crystals (DLCs) render them powerful functional materials for many semiconducting device applications and models for energy and charge migration in self-organized dynamic functional soft materials. The past three decades have seen tremendous interest in this area, fueled primarily by the possibility

"Discusses the design principles, synthesis and thermal behaviour of all types of LC dimers"--

This book focuses on the exciting topic of nanoscience with liquid crystals: from self-organized nanostructures to applications. The elegant self-organized liquid crystalline nanostructures, the synergetic characteristics of liquid crystals and nanoparticles, liquid crystalline nanomaterials, synthesis of nanomaterials using liquid crystals as templates, nanoconfinement and nanoparticles of liquid crystals are covered and discussed, and the prospect of fabricating functional materials is highlighted. Contributions, collecting the scattered literature of the field from leading and active players, are compiled to make the book a reference book. Readers will find the book useful and of benefit both as summaries for works in this field and as tutorials and explanations of concepts for those just entering the field. Additionally, the book helps to stimulate future developments.

Nanoparticle research has witnessed tremendous growth due their unusual physical and chemical properties which differs from the same bulk material. Liquid crystal, a fourth state of matter, is laying significant role in the synthesis of size and shape-uniform anostructures and can be utilised as capping agent.The inclusion of NPs in LC host produces significant changes in their physical properties such as order parameter, birefringence and dielectric anisotropy. The composite of nanomaterials and liquid crystal lead to the formation of materials having new and exciting properties whichmay find use in high-tech applications such as photoconductors, light emitting diodes, photo-voltaic solar cells, thin film transistors, etc.