Synthesis and liquid crystalline properties of compounds having a lactone ring at the terminal position

Abstract

This paper describes synthesis and mesomorphic properties of polar liquid crystal materials incorporating a chromen-2-one skeleton at the terminal position. 4-Alkoxycinnamate derivatives (2-n) show an enantiotropic smectic A (SmA) phase, while 4-alkoxybenzoate ones (1-n) tend to show a monotropic nematic and SmA phases. The SmA-isotropic transition temperature for 2-n increases with ascending the carbon number (n). The SmA phase for 2-n were characterized using binary phase diagrams and small angle X-ray diffractions. These results will be discussed in terms of the molecular structures and electro-static nature.