Record Charge Carrier Mobility in a Room-Temperature Discotic Liquid-Crystalline Derivative of Hexabenzocoronene

The largest charge mobility yet for discotic materials has been achieved with a series of hexaalkyl-substituted hexabenzocoronene derivatives (see Figure). When the mesogenic alkyl groups are coupled to the aromatic core via paraphenylene moieties both the high mobility and liquid-crystallinity are retained even at room temperature, making the materials particularly attractive candidates for the conducting layer in electronic devices.