The relative charge transfer rate of symmetrical and asymmetrical triphenylene discotic liquid crystals with two different kinds of peripheral chains, C18H6(OC2H5)3(OCH2CONHCH3)3 and C18H6(OC2H5)3(OCH2COOCH3)3 were estimated on the basis of semiclassical Marcus theory. The results showed that the asymmetrical compounds have bigger charge transfer integrals and higher charge transfer rate. The reason is that the mass center does not coincide with the geommetrical center for asymmetrcal compounts. While one asymmetrical molecule rotating about an axis that goes through the molecular mass center, the geommetrical centers of two asymmetrical molecules will have relative displacement. The relative displacement can probably lead to higher orbital splittings, so lead to higher charge transfer rate. We predict a significant increase in the charge transfer rate when going from symmetrical triphenylene to asymmetrical one.

Key words: triphenylene, discotic liquid crystals, charge transfer reaction, semiclassical Marcus theory,, quantum chemical calculation