The synthesis of 2,3,4-tris(11‘-methacryloylundecyl-1‘-oxy)benzenesulfonic acid and its sodium salt is described. The thermal behavior of the compounds was investigated by a combination of polarizing optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. The sodium salt forms a hexagonal columnar disordered phase (Colhd), whereas the acid is a crystalline compound. X-ray scattering analysis and force-field-based molecular modeling provided insight into the molecular arrangement in the mesophase. The sulfonate groups are confined in the center of the columns, preforming a potential ion-transport channel along the column axis. Thin films of the sodium sulfonate were photopolymerized in the mesomorphous state, yielding free-standing foils with embedded potential ion channels.
Chem. Mater., 2006, 18 (19), pp 4667–4673