Novel hockey‐stick mesogens with the nematic, synclinic and anticlinic smectic C phase sequence

Abstract

Abstract New hockey‐stick mesogens have been synthesised and their mesomorphic properties studied. The molecular structure consists of a laterally substituted central naphthalene unit prolonged by two non‐symmetrical arms, both of which contain ester units of identical orientation. The shorter arm possesses only one and the longer arm three benzene rings. Nematic, synclinic smectic C and anticlinic smectic C phases were identified and their physical properties studied. No banana‐type ordering producing dipolar phases has been found. Keywords: hockey‐stick mesogensynclinic smectic C phaseanticlinic smectic C phase Acknowledgements This work was supported by Research Project AVOZ 10100520, Grant Agency of AS CR (project No. IAA100100710) and Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic (project OC176). The X‐ray diffraction measurements were accomplished at the Structural Research Laboratory, Chemistry Department, University of Warsaw, Poland, which has been established with financial support from European Regional Development Fund, project no: WKP 1/1.4.3./1/2004/72/72/165/2005/U.