Polymer dispersed discotics: Structure, dynamics, and optoelectronic properties

Discotic liquid crystalline materials characterized by the spontaneous form ation of columns within the fluid phase display a set of interesting optoel ectronic properties directly related to the state of order. The dispersion of such columnar discotics in solid polymer matrices results in geometric c onfinement effects controlling both the structure of the mesophase and dyna mical properties related to transport properties. The confinement causes a reduction of the longitudinal and the transverse spatial correlation length s which, in turn, gives rise to strong modifications of the absorption and emission properties as well as electronic transport processes.