THE SYNTHESIS AND MESOMORPHIC PROPERTIES OF FERROELECTRIC LIQUID-CRYSTALS WITH A FLUORINATED ASYMMETRIC FRAME

A novel series of ferroelectric liquid crystals with a fluorinated asy mmetric frame were synthesized by utilizing optically active (S)-2-, ( S)-3-, (S)-4- and (S)-5-fluoroalkanols prepared from corresponding (R) -1,2-epoxyalkanes. Their mesomorphic and physical properties, such as spontaneous polarization, optic tilt angle and response time, were inv estigated systematically in a series of homologous compounds having th e chiral centre at different positions on tails of various lengths. Al l the compounds exhibited the chiral smectic C phase in a wide range o f temperatures and were found to possess a fast response time in spite of the small magnitude of the spontaneous polarization.