Substituted 1,4-dicyclohexyl-butan-1-ols A new class of liquid-crystalline compounds

Abstract

1,4-dicyclohexyl-butan-1-ols with a lateral hydroxyl group in the middle part of the molecule exhibit higher clearing temperatures than those of the respective compounds whithout this lateral group. A smectic B-like texture and a low temperature additional phase X were found by microscopic and calorimetric investigations. A further unexpected result was the strong increase of the dielectric constant at the S_B/X transition. These preliminary results are explained in terms of hydrogen bridges.