Fast switching organosiloxane ferroelectric liquid crystals

We report the synthesis and characterization of organosiloxane 2-phenylpyrimidine mesogens with chiral (R, R)-2,3-difluorooctyloxy side-chains. These compounds form chiral SmA* and SmC* phases, and show remarkable electro-optical and alignment properties as surface-stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystals, including one of the fastest optical rise times (11 mu s at T - T(AC) = -10 K and 6 V mu m(-1)) for an organosiloxane mesogen.