Properties of new polar liquid crystalline materials with the keto group and different number of lactate units

Abstract

New series of chiral liquid crystalline materials with the same rigid core with keto group and a various number of (S)-lactate groups in the chiral part of the moelcule have been studid by DSC, X-ray, electro-optics and dielectric spectroscopy. All compounds contain branched terminal alkyl chain derived from (S)-2-methylbutanol. The influence of the lactate number on mesogenic behavior of those compounds has been studied. All compounds show the paraelectric SmA phase and the ferroelectric SmC* phase in a rather wide temperature range. The antiferroelectric SmC*A phase was detected for the compound possessing two lactate groups. A polar field-induced smectic phase have been observed by electro-optic studies.