R. Buchecker et M. Schadt, SOME STUDIES ON LIQUID-CRYSTALS INCORPORATING 3 MEMBERED LINKING UNITS COMBINED WITH 1,3-LINKED RINGS, Liquid crystals, 20(6), 1996, pp. 811-814
From studies of molecular models, by the combination of more than one
'wrong' building unit (three membered linking units, 1,3-linked rings,
1,3-cis-saturated rings), molecules exhibiting close to linear confor
mations are feasible., Accordingly, a number of suitable substances ha
ve been synthesized. All of them exhibit a moderate to strong depressi
on of clearing temperature. Surprisingly, the extent of the depression
decreases with conformational mobility of the linking unit and is, in
contrast to normally constructed liquid crystal molecules, not affect
ed by the presence of lateral substituents in the terminal ring.