title: Strong tendency of homeotropic alignment and anisotropic lithium ion conductivity of sulfonate functionalized zwitterionic imidazolium ionic liquid crystals.
abstract: Here, we report the first attempt to investigate the liquid crystal (LC) behavior of SO3(-) functionalized imidazolium zwitterionic (SO3(-)ImZI) salts, which display homeotropic alignment on a glass slide without the aid of any aligning approach. Doping lithium salt to ImZI salts lowers the melting temperatures and raises the clearing temperatures substantially to form room temperature ImZILCs. Excellent anisotropic lithium ion conductivity is achieved; which is strengthened by their tendency for homeotropic alignment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, National Dong Hwa University , Shoufeng, Hualien 974, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Rohini
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rondla
authors.forename: Joseph C Y
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ivan J B
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Lin