The 1,2,3‐triazole molecule, which is a product of click chemistry, possesses a high dipole moment and can be a useful polar motif for ferroelectric columnar liquid crystal (LC) materials—though it has not been used to date. Herein, we report the helical assembly and ferroelectric switching properties of a columnar liquid crystal comprising a naphthalene core and 1,2,3‐triazolyl linkages. The molecule assembles into a double‐stranded helical columnar LC structure (Colhel). The X‐ray simulations of cisoid and transoid columnar models suggest that the helical assembly comprises cisoid conformers with a non‐zero dipole moment. The helical columns in the Colhel phase are aligned homeotropically under an electric field. The ferroelectric switching of the axial polarization can be observed in the temperature range of 105–115 °C in the Colhel phase, wherein the triazolyl hydrogen bonding along the column axis is weakened. The ferroelectric switching event is attributed to the rotation of the polar triazolyl units in response to the electric field.

Recently, ferroelectrically switchable columnar LCs have drawn a great deal of attention for their generation of rich polarization domains. Because of their unique dielectric and self‐assembly properties, they are considered to be a promising material for the design of sensors and ultra‐high memory devices. Herein, ferroelectrically switchable LCs by using ester, amide, and 1,2,3‐triazole groups are reviewed. Most of them do not exhibit genuine ferroelectricity owing to the low energy barrier between the two polar states. The intermolecular interactions between polar groups strongly affect the switchability and stability of polarization. Therefore, it is challenging to balance these two competing factors to improve the ferroelectric function in columnar LCs. Overall, additional effort, including LC design and device fabrication, should be made to optimize the material performance for practical applications in the future.

A bicontinuous cubic (Cubbi) liquid crystalline (LC) phase consisting of three dimensional (3D) conducting networks is a promising structural platform for ion-conductors. For practical applications using this fascinating LC structure, it is necessary to suppress crystallization at room temperature (RT). Herein, we report the Cubbi structure at RT and the morphology–dependent conduction behavior in ionic samples of a non-crystallizable dendritic amphiphile. In the molecular design, branched alkyl chains were used as an ionophobic part instead of crystallizable linear alkyl chains. Two ionic samples with Cubbi and hexagonal columnar (Colhex) LC phases at RT were prepared by adding different amounts of lithium salt to the amphiphile. Impedance analysis demonstrated that the Cubbi phase contributed to the faster ion-conduction to a larger extent than the Colhex phase due to the 3D ionic networks of the Cubbi phase. In addition, the temperature–dependent impedance and electric modulus data provided information regarding the phase transition from microphase-separated phase to molecularly mixed liquid phase.

A polar liquid crystal based on the 1,2,3-triazolyl group forms high-quality oriented columnar films under an electric field.

In this paper, an appropriate control strategy is proposed to handle the nonlinear dynamics ofan active magnetic bearing (AMB). The goal of the control design is to drive the AMB rotor to the origin with improved transient response. In order to achieve this task, back stepping control technique with a barrier Lyapunov function are employed to keep the tracking error trajectory inside a predefined zone to avoid possible mechanical contact between rotor and stator. Besides, a speed observer is also used since information about rotor speed is not always available. The stability of the closed-loop system is proven. The effectiveness of the proposed control strategy is verified by numerical simulations.