The influence of an alkenyl terminal group on the mesomorphic behaviour and electro-optic properties of fluorinated terphenyl liquid crystals

Novel liquid crystal terphenyls with two, three and four lateral fluoro substituents and an alkene unit at the end of a terminal chain are presented in terms of synthesis, mesomorphic behaviour and electro-optic properties. The difluoro analogues were found to exhibit the smectic C phase over a wide temperature range, with short temperature ranges of the smectic A and the nematic phase above. Very low melting points were recorded for the trifluoro analogues, and the shorter chain homologues of these materials exhibit the nematic phase over a wide temperatures with a monotropic smectic C phase and the higher homologues exhibit the smectic C phase over a wide temperature range with the nematic phase above. The tetrafluoroterphenyls exhibit the nematic phase over a wide temperature range with the complete absence of smectic phases. As appropriate, the materials were evaluated for dielectric anisotropy and threshold voltage in nematic phase, and mixed with a chiral dopant to evaluate the spontaneous polarisation, tilt angle and switching times in the chiral smectic C phase. The results show that these compounds are strong potential candidates for application in both vertically aligned nematic (VAN) and ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) devices.