New ferroelectric liquid crystals containing 2(S)-[2(S)-methylbutyloxy]propanol moiety

Abstract

The alcohol, 2(S)-[2(S)-methylbutyloxy]propanol (1), containing two centres of chirality was used as a chiral building block to prepare two series of new FLCs. The first series, 4-{2(S)-[2(S)-methylbutyloxy]propoxy}phenyl 4-n-alkoxybenzoate (7–10), exhibits monotropic S_C∗ and S_A phases at or below room temperature. The second series, 4,4′-{2(S)-[2(S)-methylbutyl-butoxy]propoxy}biphenyl 4-n-alkoxybenzoate (11–15), possesses enantiotropic S∗_C and N∗ phases. The S∗ phase temperature range is up to 37°C. The spontaneous polarization of 22–32nCcm⁻² was measured in the series of the FLCs 11–15. The comparison experiments indicate that the dipoles of the two chiral centres in the alcohol 1 add in the S_C∗ phase so that the Ps value of the new FLCs are enhanced.