An investigation into the effect of lateral fluoro substitution in the molecular core on the spontaneous polarization of chiral cyclohexanes

Abstract

A range of chiral biphenylcyclohexanes of high enantiomeric excess has been prepared by asymmetric synthesis. These materials were designed as chiral dopants for ferroelectric mixtures based on fluoro-substituted host materials. Accordingly, fluoro substituents were strategically incorporated into the aromatic core of the chiral biphenylcyclohexanes in order to determine their effect on the spontaneous polarization of the ferroelectric mixtures. Chiral hydroboration was used to generate the chiral cyclohexane units which were attached to the core by using palladium-catalysed cross-coupling reactions with arylboronic acids; the synthetic methods used are discussed. The spontaneous polarization of the chiral materials was evaluated in H1 host mixture and the results are reported and discussed in comparison with the non-fluoro-substituted analogues.