Synthesis of mesomorphic 2-alkyl-5-(p-cyanophenyl)pyridines

A new series of liquid-crystal derivatives of 2-alkyl-5-(p-cyanophenyl)pyridines were obtained by halogenation of 2-alkyl-5-phenylpyridines under the conditions of the Birckenbach-Gubo-Waters reaction with subsequent conversion of the 2-alkyl-5-(p-bromo- or iodophenyl) pyridines to the cyano derivatives.Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 1, pp. 85–88, January, 1981.