The preparation and properties of low molar mass liquid crystals possessing lateral alkyl chains

The first twelve members of three new mesogenic homologous series have been characterized, each of which are composed of molecules possessing lateral alkyl chains. The n-alkyl 2,5-bis-(4-n-hexyloxy-benzoyloxy)-benzoates are purely nematic whereas both nematic and smectic behaviour is observed for the 4-cyano-4'-biphenylyl 3'-n-alkyloxybenzoates and the 4-cyano-4'-biphenylyl 3',4'-n-alkyloxybenzoates. The transitional properties of these series are similar to those of the analogous conventional mesogens and hence, can be rationalized without making any special assumptions concerning the conformational distribution of the lateral alkyl chain.