Host–guest monolayers of octaalkoxyphthalocyanatocobalt with nematic liquid crystals at the air–water interface

The generation of ultrathin molecular films consisting of hydrophobic nematic liquid crystals assisted by octaeicosyloxyphthalocyanatocobalt (C20PcCo) at the air/water interface is described. C20PcCo possessed the ability to incorporate hydrophobic nematic liquid crystals in its space cavity on a water surface to form homogeneous host–guest monolayers, being irrespective of the nature of liquid crystals when a mixing ratio of C20PcCo to a liquid crystal was 1:6. When the mixing ratio was 1:24, a liquid crystalline azobenzene as a single component gave rise to a floating ultrathin host–guest film with a homogeneous appearance, whereas no homogeneous film was obtained for nematic liquid crystals consisting of two or three kinds of mesogenic molecules.