Liquid Crystals Based on Hypervalent Sulfur Fluorides: Exploring the Steric Effects of <i>ortho‐</i>Fluorine Substituents

Abstract

Abstract Liquid crystals that have ortho‐ fluorinated pentafluoro‐λ 6 ‐sulfanyl terminal groups are the most polar materials that are still compatible with current active matrix LCD technology. The synthesis of the first examples of this class of substance has been achieved by direct fluorination. The physico‐chemical characterization, supported by DFT calculations, revealed some surprising features of these new compounds: the bulky SF 5 group is easily deformed and responds in a quite unusual way to the steric strain exerted by its ortho substituents. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH &amp; Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2005)