Biphenyl-based liquid crystal precursors with alkanoate and hydroxyl group
摘要:
We synthesized a series of 4-hydroxy-[1,1-biphenyl]-4-yl alkanoate with a potentially reactive functional hydroxyl group as a LC precursor, which facilitates reaction with other chemical groups to tailor biphenyl-based liquid crystals (LCs) for specific applications. Several liquid crystalline materials were also synthesized based on these LC precursors to show high probability to generate various potential LCs. With increasing chain length, the melting point decreased and R-f (retardation factor: migration distance of substance divided by migration distance of solvent front) of the synthesized LC precursor increased. This LC precursor series provides a useful first synthesis step to design tunable biphenyl/ester-based LCs.
The novel liquid crystal compounds of the present invention are represented by the following formulas \x9bI!-\x9bII! and have tristable molecular orientation states and can be used for display devices and electrooptical devices. ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 represents an alkyl group of 5-18 carbon atoms; R.sub.2 represents an alkyl group of 6-16 carbon atoms; R.sub.3 represents an alkyl group of 8-18 carbon atoms; R.sub.4 represents an alkyl group of 6-14 carbon atoms; Y represents ##STR2## and * indicates an optically active center.