Liquid crystalline properties of unsymmetrical bent-core compounds containing chiral moieties

The synthesis, characterization and mesomorphic properties of new unsymmetrical bent-core compounds containing chiral moieties are reported. These compounds have been derived from either 3-hydroxybenzoic acid or 2,7-dihydroxynaphthalene as the central unit. The chiral group is incorporated either within the bent-core structure as a linking group or is appended in the terminal position. The influence of the position of the chiral moiety on the mesomorphic properties has been investigated. The bent-core compounds containing a chiral group (octan-2-ol) in the terminal chain exhibit a direct transition from chiral calamitic phases such as SmC*, SmC*(gamma) to a polar banana phase with a two-dimensional lattice (Col(ob)P(A)*) on decreasing temperature. In order to prove this phase sequence, the corresponding compound with a racemic octan-2-ol group at the terminal chain has been synthesized. The preliminary observations and investigations are presented for comparison with the chiral compound. Possible explanations for this unusual phase sequence and the models for the Col(ob)P(A)* (Sm (C) over tilde P-S(A)*) phase are also discussed on the basis of X-ray and electric field experiments.