Low temperature enantiotropic nematic phases from V-shaped, shape-persistent molecules

• Matthias Lehmann and
• Jens Seltmann

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2009, 5, No. 73, doi:10.3762/bjoc.5.73

• connected via alkyloxy spacers, was efficiently prepared by a two-step procedure. Phase engineering results in an optimum of the mesophase range and low melting temperature when the nematogens are desymmetrised with a butoxy and a heptyloxy spacer. The mesophases are enantiotropic and over the whole

• , indicating the alignment of two molecular axes along individual directors in the magnetic field. These observations may be rationalised with larger assemblies of V-shaped molecules isotropically distributed around the direction of the magnetic field. Keywords: biaxial nematics; liquid crystals; phase

• engineering; thiadiazoles; V-shaped mesogens; Introduction Most molecules forming nematic liquid crystals, the nematogens, are based on rod-shaped (calamitic), anisometric cores with peripheral flexible chains along the molecular long axis [1]. Nematic phases are the simplest liquid crystalline mesophases

Progress in liquid crystal chemistry

• Sabine Laschat

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2009, 5, No. 48, doi:10.3762/bjoc.5.48

• smectic phases, nematic phase engineering by using V-shaped molecules, saddle-shaped columnar systems displaying anomalous odd-even effects, theoretical studies on the origin of chirality transfer in liquid crystalline host-guest systems, liquid crystalline carboranes and dyes and discotic phenanthrene