High tilt antiferroelectric esters bearing a perfluorobutanoyloxy terminal chain: the influence of lateral fluoro substituents on mesomorphic behaviour, tilt angle, and spontaneous polarization

Novel liquid crystalline esters have been synthesized with a perfluorocarbonyloxy terminal chain and lateral fluoro substituents in order to determine their influence on mesomorphic behaviour, tilt angle and spontaneous polarization. Certain locations of lateral fluoro substituents provide for very low melting points and reasonably wide temperature ranges of the antiferroelectric phase, and can generate enhanced tilt angles of up to 45°, although spontaneous polarization is always lower than for the parent system without lateral fluoro substituents. Thus, these novel materials, particularly as components in mixtures, should be useful in high tilt antiferroelectric (orthoconic) applications.