The helical nanofilament (HNF) liquid crystal phase is a complex, hierarchical self-assembly in which bent-core molecules cooled from the isotropic melt form dense periodic arrays of nanoscale filaments of twisted smectic layers, a structure driven by an inherent tendency of the layers to be locally saddle-splayed. Here we report the results of a study of mixtures of an HNF-forming bent-core liquid crystal with a variety of organic guest molecules, showing that the high temperature, isotropic phase is completely mixed but that upon cooling the filaments form and grow, expelling the guest material from their internal volume. The nanofilaments form a network which acts as a porous nanoconfinement medium of large internal area (∼100 m² cm⁻³), with the guest material confined to nanoscale interstitial volumes between the filaments. Such helical nanofilament networks represent a robust platform for potential applications in chiral separations, asymmetric synthesis, and photonic metamaterials.

Beeswax-based organogels were formulated with linseed oil and curcumin according to a statistical design to increase the oxidative stability of spreadable meat products (pâté) where these organogels (OGCur) were incorporated as fat substitutes. The organogels obtained under optimal conditions (9.12% beeswax, 0.54% curcumin) showed a mechanical strength similar to pork backfat determined by back extrusion and high oil binding capacity (OBC; over 90%). The incorporation of curcumin at this concentration did not lead to any change in the arrangement of the crystal network, OBC, and mechanical, thermal, or rheological properties of the organogels. Beeswax organogels with and without curcumin, with a β’ orthorhombic subcell structure, showed a predominant elastic behavior and a melting event wider and shifted to lower temperatures than pure beeswax, suggesting a plasticizer effect of the oil in the wax crystals. The oxidative stability of the organogels under accelerated oxidation conditions increased due to the incorporation of curcumin. A decrease in the curcumin content was found from day 4 at 60 °C, together with a significantly lower formation of both peroxides and malonaldehyde. When pork backfat was partially or totally replaced by OGCur in pâtés, a noticeable protective effect of curcumin against lipid oxidation was found during chilled storage

The behaviour of a large number of paramagnetic metallo-mesogenic molecules with Cu and VO in different mesophases in a magnetic field was investigated by EPR techniques and magnetic susceptibility measurements. The investigation of the angular dependence of the EPR spectra enabled conclusions to be reached concerning the molecular orientation in the external magnetic field. Temperature dependence magnetic susceptibility measurements were carried out in order to obtain information about the overall susceptibility anisotropy. The good agreement between experimental results and calculated data based on the known increment scheme is obvious. It is shown that the direction of orientation of the molecules in a magnetic field is predetermined by the sum of the anisotropy of the phenyl ring and the chelate core in the molecular structure.