Temperature-independent hole mobility in discotic liquid crystals

Experimental measurements are presented of the hole mobilities of four conjugated discotic systems, forming columnar liquid crystals, as a function of temperature. The measurements cover the crystalline/glassy phase and mesophase of these materials. It is a remarkable fact that the mobility is almost independent of temperature in the range 30 °C–170 °C. Various explanations of a weak temperature dependence exist and these are explored. They include the small polaron of Holstein in the nonadiabatic limit and the effect of the dynamic disorder present in the system.