New ionic liquid crystal compounds having a 1,3-dithiane or 1,3-dioxane ring

New pyridinium type thermotropic ionic liquid crystal materials having a 1,3-dithiane ring in the central core N-substituted 4-(5-alkyl-1,3-dithian-2-yl)pyridinium bromides and the corresponding 1,3-dioxanes were synthesized and their mesomorphic behaviours compared. The principal feature of these compounds is to exhibit a smectic A phase over a very wide temperature range including room temperature.