Synthesis and Properties of Liquid Crystals Based on 5-Aminotropolone

Abstract

New troponoid liquid crystals (1, 2) with a 5-aminotropolone skeleton were prepared. Dicatenar molecules having two aliphatic chains (1) showed smectic C phases, but they were decomposed around 220℃. From the X-ray diffraction studies, the layer spacing was determined 0.8 times shorter than the calculated molecular length, suggesting that the molecular long axes to be tilted to the layer plane. On the other hand, tetracatenar molecules (2) showed mesophases when alkoxyl chains were long.