title: Key Developments in Ionic Liquid Crystals.
abstract: Ionic liquid crystals are materials that combine the classes of liquid crystals and ionic liquids. The first one is based on the multi-billion-dollar flat panel display industry, whilst the latter quickly developed in the past decades into a family of highly-tunable non-volatile solvents. The combination yields materials with a unique set of properties, but also with many challenges ahead. In this review, we provide an overview of the key concepts in ionic liquid crystals, particularly from a molecular perspective. What are the important molecular parameters that determine the phase behavior? How should they be introduced into the molecules? Finally, which other tools does one have to realize specific properties in the material?
authors.affiliation: Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands. a.alvarez@ntu.edu.sg.|School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Blk N4.1 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798, Singapore. a.alvarez@ntu.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alvarez Fernandez
authors.affiliation: Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands. p.kouwer@science.ru.nl.
authors.forename: Paul H J
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Kouwer
mesh_terms: D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D052578:Ionic Liquids / Q000737:chemistry*; D007477:Ions / Q000737:chemistry*; D050866:Liquid Crystals / Q000737:chemistry*; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D015394:Molecular Structure; D044367:Phase Transition; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D052578:Ionic Liquids; D007477:Ions
keywords: imidazolium; ionic liquid crystals; ionic liquids; liquid crystals; smectic