Molecular self-diffusion in a columnar liquid crystalline phase determined by deuterium NMR -: art. no. 050702

We report translational-diffusion coefficients in a columnar phase of a discotic liquid crystal formed by a triphenylpne-based compound. The experiments were performed using H-2 stimulated-echo-type pulsed-field-gradient spin-echo NMR applied to a chain-deuterated sample. The diffusion coefficients were found in the range of 1 x 10(-14)-4 x 10(-14) m(2)/s, three orders of magnitude lower than in the isotopic phase of the same compound. This, together with the high activation energy obtained in, columnar phase, indicates that the diffusion is dominated by solidlike jump processes.