Liquid crystalline thiadiazole derivatives: new ferroelectric thiadiazole derivatives

A series of optically active thiadiazole Schiff's bases were prepared and their liquid crystalline properties were studied. Chirality was achieved by introducing an asymmetric carbon atom into the alkoxy group. Thus, 2-(p-active-alkoxyphenyl-imine)-5-(p-n-alkoxy)phenyl-1,3,4-thiadiazoles were synthesized. Their structures were characterized using elemental analysis, and IR, H-1 NMR and mass spectroscopies; their thermal properties were determined using DSC and polarized light microscopy. All the compounds are enantiotropic liquid crystals, and most of them exhibited both chiral smectic C* and cholesteric mesophases. Only one of them did not show a smectic C* phase.