Discotic liquid crystals as new class of fluid and their electrical and optical properties

Unique structural, electrical and optical properties of discotic liquid crystals composed of disc-shaped molecules are discussed in comparison with those of calamitic liquid crystals composed of rod-like molecules, dielectric liquids and crystals. Electronic carriers are confirmed to contribute dominantly to the fast photoconductivity in discotic liquid crystals. Hole mobility in discotic phases has been found to be much larger than ionic mobility and to be dependent on the molecular structure, phases and disorder. Photo-carrier generation processes in discotic liquids are also studied and discussed in terms of the Onsager model.