Columnar phase

<p>The columnar phase is a class of <a href="/facts/Mesophase/6q0S1kcu">mesophases</a> in which molecules assemble into cylindrical structures to act as <a href="/facts/Mesogen/U41VF0lf">mesogens</a>. Originally, these kinds of <a href="/facts/Liquid_crystal/ehCCST89">liquid crystals</a> were called <a href="/facts/Discotic_liquid_crystal/n3SRNWxh">discotic liquid crystals</a> or bowlic liquid crystals  because the columnar structures are composed of flat-shaped discotic or bowl-shaped molecules stacked one-dimensionally. Since recent findings provide a number of columnar liquid crystals consisting of non-discoid mesogens, it is more common now to classify this <a href="/facts/State_of_matter/ojlIA1UF">state of matter</a> and compounds with these properties as columnar liquid crystals.
</p><p>Takuzo Aida and co-workers recently reported cyclic peptides that self-assemble into polar columnar organizations.  These materials can be unidirectionally aligned over large areas by application of an external electric field.
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Columnar phase open-in-new

Columnar phase