Towards low birefringent achiral smectic C hosts for new display applications

In order to utilize the developed and readily available TFT techniques for surface-stabilized ferroelectric displays the development of formulations w ith significantly lower birefringence than commonly used today is necessary . The compounds presented here as basis for achiral hosts have structures w hich are based on difluoroterphenyls except that they have alicyclic ring s ystems attached to the aromatic core in place of one of the phenyl rings. M ixtures based on these compounds have been prepared and assessed in terms o f their transition temperatures and birefringence with reference to the par ent terphenyls.