Liquid crystallinity of newly synthesized glucose derivatives with mesogenic side chains

Synthesis of glucose derivatives by direct esterification of the five available sites on D-(+)-glucose with side chains containing a biphenyl mesogenic moiety, a pentyl spacer and an alkyl tail is reported for the first time. Liquid crystalline phase behaviour of these glucose derivatives was studied by optical microscopy, thermal and X-ray diffraction methods. A layered arrangement of the smectic A (SmA) type was commonly observed in the above materials. An increase in the length of the alkyl tail results in a change of the phase structure from smectic A(i) (SmA(i)), intercalated layer phase, to smectic A(s) (SmA(s)), segregated bilayer phase. From the transition temperature and enthalpy observations, the SmA(s) phase has higher order than the SmA(i) phase. Cholesteric and chiral smectic C phases were also observed in addition to the SmA for some of the glucose derivatives, demonstrating a potential for preparing chiral liquid crystals.