New Liquid Crystals: The Synthesis and Mesomorphic Properties of Alkenylsubstituted Cyanophenylethylcyclohexanes and Cyanobiphenylylcyclohexanes

Abstract

Nineteen alkenylsubstituted cyanophenylethylcyclohexanes and cyanobiphenylycyclohexanes have been synthesized by systematically varying both the position and the configuration of the isolated C, C-double bond. The influences of such structural changes on the mesomorphic properties are discussed and the observed nematic thermal stabilities (cf. Table I) are compared, where possible, with those of the corresponding saturated alkyl analogs.