Chiral Mesogenic Compounds: Carbocyclic and Heterocyclic Schiff Bases

Abstract

Five different chiral p-substituted anilines derived from 4-aminobenzoic acid and from 4-aminophenol were condensed with four carbocyclic and heterocyclic aldehydes in order to obtain chiral Schiff bases resembling DOBAMBC¹ and HOBACPC.²

With the exception of the pyridine-3-carboxaldehyde derivatives, the compounds are mesomorphic. Some of the compounds exhibit ferroelectric S_C* phases, and all exhibit S_A or Ch mesophases on heating. Benzaldehyde and pyridine-2-carboxaldehyde derivatives show similar mesomorphic behavior, as was to be expected from MNDO semiempirical calculations.

Values of the spontaneous polarization of certain compounds were measured.