Syntheses and properties of optically active 2,4-disubstituted γ-butyrolactones having a different number of methylene chain between a core and a γ-butyrolactone ring, Me-cis-1-4, Me-trans-1-4, which are developed for ferroelectric liquid crystals (FLCs) are described. Properties of FLC mixtures containing the 7-butyrolactones as chiral dopants and conformations of the γ-butyrolactones in CDC1 were estimated. The relationship between the FLC properties and molecular structures of the γ-butyrolactones are discussed.
