Versatile nonlinear-optical materials based on mesomorphic metal alkanoates: design, properties, and applications

Metal alkanoates combine simple chemical structures and a versatility of condensed states of matter they exhibit. Solid crystals, plastic crystals, lyotropic and thermotropic ionic liquid crystals, liquids, mesomorphic glasses, and Langmuir–Blodgett films are just a few examples. Liquid crystal phases of metal alkanoates are the most intriguing because they represent a non-conventional class of materials known as ionic metallomesogens. Structural, thermal, and transport properties of mesomorphic metal alkanoates are well documented and reviewed. On the contrary, the optical and nonlinear-optical properties of these materials are very poorly understood. The situation has changed rapidly during the last decade. Advances in the design of mesomorphic glasses stable at room temperatures have launched a new era of research in the field of photonic and optoelectronic materials based on mesomorphic metal alkanoates. This manuscript reviews recent developments in the field of optical and nonlinear-optical materials based on mesomorphic metal alkanoates.