In order to study the steric effect around chiral carbon to liquid crystallinity of antiferroelectric liquid crystalline materials, we designed and synthesized liquid crystal compounds having a 1,2- or 1,3-dimethylheptyl ester group. Although the anti-1,2-dimethylheptyl ester type compound exhibited SmA, SmC* and SmCA* phases in a way similar to 1-methylheptyl ester type compound, the syn-1,2- and 1,3-dimethylheptyl ester type compounds showed SmA artd SmCA* phases.
