Chiral smectogens with four-phenyl-ring molecular core, laterally substituted by iodine atom

Two series of lactic acid derivatives, based on four-ring molecular core laterally substituted by iodine atom, have been synthesised and their liquid crystalline properties studied. The non-chiral chain length has been varied and its influence on mesomorphic properties studied. All new compounds reveal the SmA*-SmC* phase sequence in an extremely broad temperature interval. The experimental techniques, namely the polarising optical microscopy, DSC, X-ray diffraction and helical pitch measurements, have been applied to establish the physical properties. New materials denoted JFRm/6 and JFRm/MB (with varying m as a number of carbon atoms in the non-chiral chain) are compared with the previously synthesised analogues (non-substituted and laterally substituted by a different halogen atom, namely bromine and chlorine).