An Investigation on the Use of Furan Derivatives to Obtain Thermotropic Compounds

A systematic investigation of the mesogenic potential of furan derivatives in terms of geometrical and polar structural characteristics has been carried out.Symmetrical compounds obtained from furancarboxylic acids and hydroquinone or 4,4'-dihydroxybiphenyl, and from 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid and several paraalkoxyphenols were prepared, in order to obtain esters bearing furan rings either in the terminal or in the central position.When the furan ring is the core of the molecule geometric features play a predominant role on the thermal behavior and the mesophase formation is inhibited.When the furan heterocycles are appended to an aromatic core the detrimental role is less manifest, but still present, as shown by comparing the thermal properties of furan derivatives with those of the corresponding fully aromatic compounds.