Transport of ions and electrons in nanostructured liquid crystals

The nanosegregated structures of columnar, smectic and bicontinuous cubic liquid crystals can provide well-organized, nano-and sub-nanosized 1D, 2D and 3D channels capable of ion and electron transport. The molecular shape, intermolecular interactions and nanosegregation of the molecular structures can influence their self-assembly into a range of functional liquid-crystalline nanostructures. The formation of stable and soft liquid-crystalline materials leads to their application as electrolytes for batteries and photovoltaics, semi-conductors, electroluminescence and electrochemical devices. In addition, electro-chemical devices are obtained by using redox-active liquid crystals. In this Review, we focus on the design of liquid-crystalline phases, the resultant self-assembled structures, the transport mechanisms, and the fabrication, function and future development of devices incorporating nanostructured liquid crystals.