Organofluorine compounds and fluorinating agents : Part 28. New perfluoroalkyl substituted chiral mesogens

The perfluorohexyl-aryl-thioethers 3 and 4, building blocks for the synthesis of the chiral target mesogens 12-15, were prepared by dithionite-mediated S-perfluoroalkylation of the p-substituted thiophenols 1 and 2. The phenolic HO group of 3 was O-glucosylated with pentaacetyl-d-glucopyranose to 5 followed by deacetylation forming the tetrol 6 and by acetalizing with 4-(4-perfluorohexylsulfanyl-benzoyloxy)-benzaldehyde-dimethylacetal (8) generating the dihydroxy-intermediate 9. The latter contains two perfluorohexylthio chains. Alternatively, the dimethylacetal 8 was linked to p-octylphenyl-β-d-glucopyranoside (10) giving the mixed octyl/perfluorohexyl substituted p-octylphenyl-4,6-O-[4′-(4″-perfluorohexylsulfanyl)-benzoyloxy]-benzylidene-β-d-glucopyranoside (11). Compound 8 was obtained via esterification of 4 with p-hydroxy-benzaldehyde to 4-(4-perfluorohexylsulfanyl-benzoyloxy)-benzaldehyde (7). Finally, the diols 9 and 11 were dehydroxylated to 12 and 13 followed by hydrogenation yielding 14 and 15, respectively. Tetrol 6, diols 9, 11 and the non-amphiphilic compounds 7, 12-15 are thermotropic liquid crystals.