Abstract
A homologous series of chiral twin liquid crystals were prepared, and the effects of spacer lengths, terminal chain lengths and mesogenic core structures on the liquid-crystalline phase transition behavior were investigated. All the oligomers possessing a phenylpyrimidine core were found to exhibit a ferrielectric smectic C phase with a wide temperature range. The phase sequence exhibits a pronounced odd-even effect as parity of the spacers is varied. Furthermore a direct transition from Iso to ferri was observed for a chiral oligomer possessing a 2-phenyl-5-alkoxypyrimidine core.
