Liquid crystals with multiple fluorinated bridges in the mesogenic core structure

A rational, building block oriented design approach gives rise to a new class of super fluorinated liquid crystals suitable for the newest generation of active matrix LCDs. These materials contain combinations of different fluorinated linking groups in their mesogenic core structure, resulting in a highly advantageous property profile including a broad nematic phase range, low rotational viscosity and high dielectric anisotropy. The large-scale synthesis of such complex materials became feasible only by some recent advances in the synthesis of alpha,alpha -difluoroether linkages. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.