Abstract
A novel series of chiral dopants synthesised from (S)-1, 2-propanediol and mesogenic carboxylic acids were characterised by Fourier transform infrared and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance, and their helical twisting properties were investigated by doping the chiral dopants into a nematic liquid crystal host (SLC-1717). The results showed that the values of the molecular twisting power β were significantly dependent on the nature of the terminal substituents, terminal alkyl length and numbers of chiral centres in the molecular structure. Compared to compounds with electron-with-drawing groups (-NO2, -F, -CF3), the chiral compounds with terminal alkyl chains exhibited a higher β.
Acknowledgements
Financial support is acknowledged from the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 20674005, the Flat-Panel Display Special Project of China 863 Plan under Grant No. 2008AA03A318 and Projects of Chinese National Science and Technology Tackling Key Problems under Grant No. 2007BAE31B02.