Connecting nanoscale molecular self-assembly to macroscale photophysical property of pyrene-based liquid crystal mesogen

Understanding the relationship between material properties and supramolecular nanostructures is essential for elucidating how nanoscale molecular organizations govern macroscale photoluminescence (PL) properties. Here, we introduce a novel pyrene-based liquid crystal mesogen (Py-LCM) and systematically investigate how its molecular packing nanostructures and orientations influence photophysical material properties. Py-LCM exhibits diverse molecular packing structures depending on solvent polarity and concentration in the solution state, leading to a variety of controllable photophysical emissions. Thermodynamic and structural analyses in the solid state reveal that the formation of metastable and stable nanostructures of Py-LCM can be precisely controlled by modulating the kinetic pathway of nanoscale molecular self-assembly. Furthermore, by inducing macroscale molecular orientation, we achieve polarization-dependent photophysical emissions. Finally, we demonstrate the practical application of Py-LCM in optically encrypted systems, taking advantage of its distinct PL characteristics in both solution and solid states.