FUNCTIONALIZED PORPHYRIN DISCOTIC LIQUID-CRYSTALS - PHOTOINDUCED CHARGE SEPARATION AND TRAPPING

Individual members of a family of highly absorptive porphyrins bearing symmetrically positioned flexible side chains form discotic liquid cr ystalline mesophases at modest temperature ranges. The order of this p hase is preserved when a thin layer of this self-assembled material is cooled to room temperature. Exposure of such films to visible excitat ion, with or without an externally applied electrical field, produces photovoltaic effects and/or charge trapping. The latter effect constit utes the basis for optoelectronic information storage.