Dendritic liquid-crystalline fullerene–ferrocene dyads

First- and second-generation ferrocene-based dendrimers, fullerene and a second-generation liquid-crystalline poly(arylester) dendrimer carrying four cyanobiphenyl units were assembled to elaborate polyfunctional materials displaying mesomorphic and electronic properties. The targeted compounds gave rise to enantiotropic smectic A phases and organized into bilayer structures within the smectic layers. Cyclic voltammetry investigations revealed oxidation and reduction processes in agreement with the presence of both ferrocene and fullerene units. Finally, strong quenching of the fluorescence was obtained for the fullerene–ferrocene dyads suggesting efficient elecron transfer from the ferrocene-based dendrimer to fullerene.