x-O-n-alkyl-itols. Substrate structure and alkyl chain position influenceson their liquid crystalline properties

A range of 3-O-n-alkyl and 6-O-n-alkyl-D-galactitols, 2-O-n-alkyl-D-mannito ls, 1-O-n-alkyl and 2-O-n-alkyl-D,L-erythritols and 1-O-n-alkyl and 2-O-n-a lkyl-D,L-threitols was synthesized. Their thermotropic phase transition tem peratures were compared with those of x-O-n-alkyl-D-glucitols (x = 1, 3, 4 and 6), x-O-n-alkyl-D-mannitols (x = 1 and 3) and x-O-n-alkyl-xylitols (x = 1, 2 and 3) in order to observe the influences of both the polyol structur e and the alkyl chain x-position on the phase transition temperature. Lyotr opic phase transition temperatures of all these compounds were also reporte d. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.