The Physical Properties of Fluorine Derivatives of 4-Cyanobiphenyls

The physical properties of two new series of liquid crystalline materials, the 2- and 2′-fluoro-substituted derivatives of the 4-n-alkyl-4′-cyanobiphenyls, have been examined and compared to their unfluorinated analogues. The presence of the lateral fluorine substituent is found to suppress both the injected smectic phases found in the hybrid mixtures with esters, which are designed for use in multiplexed displays, and the strong anti-paraliel correlations normally present in cyanobiphenyls.