Dicarboxylate gemini surfactant that forms a lyotropic liquid crystal

1. A lyotropic liquid crystal composition comprising:

a polar solvent and an anionic Gemini surfactant, the anionic Gemini surfactant comprising at least one carboxylate moiety;

wherein the anionic Gemini surfactant forms a triply periodic phase over a range of concentrations from C i to C ii wherein the difference between C i and C ii is at least 10 weight percent and over a range of temperatures from T i to T ii wherein the difference between T i and T ii is at least 40° C.

2. The lyotropic liquid crystal composition of claim 1 wherein the difference between C i and C ii is at least 12 weight percent.

3. The lyotropic liquid crystal composition of claim 1 wherein the difference between T i and T ii is at least 45° C.

4. The lyotropic liquid crystal composition of claim 1 wherein the triply periodic phase comprises a gyroid phase (space group #230), a double diamond phase (space group #224), a primitive cubic phase (space group #229), or a tetracontinuous hexagonal phase (space group #193).

5. The lyotropic liquid crystal composition of claim 1 wherein the polar solvent is selected from the group consisting of water, acetone, tetrahydrofuran, diethyl ether, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, glycidol, 2-butene-1,4-diol, propanediol, glycerol, formamide, N-methylformamide, N,-ethylformamide, acetamide, N-methylacetamide, N-ethylacetamide, methanol, ethanol, propanol, ethylammonium nitrate, ethanolammonium nitrate, ethyl ammonium formate, ethanolammonium formate, ethylammonium acetate, ethanolammonium acetate, 1-ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium acetate, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, and any combination thereof.

6. The lyotropic liquid crystal composition of claim 1 wherein the anionic Gemini surfactant is present at a concentration of at least 30 weight percent; and

the anionic Gemini surfactant is present at a concentration of no greater than 95 weight percent.

7. A lyotropic liquid crystal composition comprising a polar solvent and an anionic Gemini surfactant, the anionic Gemini surfactant comprising at least one carboxylate moiety;

wherein the anionic Gemini surfactant forms a triply periodic phase over a range of concentrations from C i to C ii wherein the difference between C i and C ii is at least 10 weight percent and over a range of temperatures from T i to T ii wherein the difference between T i and T ii is at least 40° C.

wherein the anionic Gemini surfactant has the following structure:

wherein X 1 and X 2 are each independently a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic moiety having between four and 30 carbon atoms or a substituted or unsubstituted aryl-aliphatic moiety having between four and 30 carbon atoms;

Y is a connecting moiety;

M is a counterion; and

R 1 through R 6 are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, fluoride, chloride, and bromide.

8. The lyotropic liquid crystal composition of claim 7 wherein each M is selected from the group consisting of lithium ion; sodium ion; potassium ion; cesium ion; magnesium ion; calcium ion; zinc ion; ammonium ion; alkylammonium ion having the structure H x R 4-x N + wherein x is an integer having a value of 0 through 4 and R is selected from the group consisting of methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, and combinations thereof; tetrakis(hydroxymethyl)phosphonium ion; tetramethylphosphonium ion; choline; imidazolium; bis(quaternary ammonium) ion; and combinations thereof.

9. The lyotropic liquid crystal composition of claim 7 wherein Y comprises an aliphatic moiety, which may be substituted or unsubstituted and may be branched or unbranched, the aliphatic moiety comprising between three carbon atoms and 20 carbon atoms.

10. A lyotropic liquid crystal composition comprising a polar solvent and an anionic Gemini surfactant, the anionic Gemini surfactant comprising at least one carboxylate moiety;

wherein the anionic Gemini surfactant forms a triply periodic phase over a range of concentrations from C i to C ii wherein the difference between C i and C ii is at least 10 weight percent and over a range of temperatures from T i to T ii wherein the difference between T i and T ii is at least 40° C.

wherein the anionic Gemini surfactant has the following structure:

wherein Z 1 and Z 2 are integers, each independently having a value between four and 20;

Y is a connecting moiety; and

M is a counterion.

11. A lyotropic liquid crystal composition comprising:

a polar solvent at a concentration of at least 10 weight percent; and

an anionic Gemini surfactant at a concentration of least 30 weight percent, the anionic Gemini surfactant having the following structure:

wherein X 1 and X 2 are each independently a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic moiety having between four and 30 carbon atoms or a substituted or unsubstituted aryl-aliphatic moiety having between four and 30 carbon atoms;

Y is a connecting moiety selected from the group consisting of a branched or unbranched hydrocarbyl moiety, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl or heteroaryl moiety, and a hydrophilic moiety;

M is a counterion; and

R 1 through R 6 are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, fluoride, chloride, and bromide.

12. The lyotropic liquid crystal composition of claim 11 wherein the polar solvent is selected from the group consisting of water, acetone, tetrahydrofuran, diethyl ether, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, glycidol, 2-butene-1,4-diol, propanediol, glycerol, formamide, N-methylformamide, N,-ethylformamide, acetamide, N-methylacetamide, N-ethylacetamide, methanol, ethanol, propanol, ethylammonium nitrate, ethanolammonium nitrate, ethyl ammonium formate, ethanolammonium formate, ethylammonium acetate, ethanolammonium acetate, 1-ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium acetate, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, and any combination thereof.

13. The lyotropic liquid crystal composition of claim 11 wherein each M is selected from the group consisting of lithium ion; sodium ion; potassium ion; cesium ion; magnesium ion; calcium ion; zinc ion; ammonium ion; alkylammonium ion having the structure H x R 4-x N + wherein x is an integer having a value of 0 through 4 and R is selected from the group consisting of methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, and combinations thereof; tetrakis(hydroxymethyl)phosphonium ion; tetramethylphosphonium ion; choline; imidazolium; bis(quaternary ammonium) ion; and combinations thereof.

14. The lyotropic liquid crystal composition of claim 11 wherein Y comprises the substituted or unsubstituted aryl or heteroaryl moiety.

15. The lyotropic liquid crystal composition of claim 11 wherein Y comprises the hydrophilic moiety.

16. The lyotropic liquid crystal composition of claim 11 wherein the anionic Gemini surfactant has the following structure:

wherein Z 1 and Z 2 are integers, each independently having a value between four and twenty;

Y is the connecting moiety; and

M is the counterion.