DESIGN AND SYNTHESIS OF FERROELECTRIC LIQUID CRYSTALS FOR HIGH SPEED APPLICATIONS

THE LONG RANGE SCIENTIFIC GOALS OF THIS RESEARCH ARE TO INCREASE UNDERSTANDING OF THE CORRELATION OF MOLECULAR STRUCTURE WITH PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF FERROELECTRIC LIQUID CRYSTAL (FLC) PHASES, AND TO TEST STRATEGIES FOR DESIGN OF NEW MATERIALS. THE PRACTICAL GOAL IS THE INVENTION OF NEW FLC MATERIALS WITH PROPERTIES SUITED FOR INCORPORATION INTO COMMERCIAL FLC SHUTTERS AND LARGE-AREA MATRIX DISPLAYS. FERROELECTRIC (CHIRAL) SMECTIC C* LIQUID CRYSTALS HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO EXHIBIT HIGH SPEED, MULTISTATE ELECTRO-OPTIC AND DISPLAY DEVICE APPLICATIONS, PARTICULARLY WHEN INCORPORATED INTO THE SURFACE STABILIZED FERROELECTRIC LIQUID CRYSTAL (SSFLC) LIGHT VALVE. THE BEST MATERIALS FOR USE IN SUCH DEVICES WOULD HAVE A HIGH FERROELECTRIC POLARIZATION AND LOWORIENTATIONAL VISCOSITY, AFFORDING A FAST ELECTRO-OPTIC RESPONSE TIME, BROAD TEMPERATURE RANGE, AND EXCELLENT CHEMICAL STABILITY. NO MATERIALS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE, HOWEVER, POSSESS THE REQUIRED SPEED (4 STERIC COUPLING OF STEREOCENTERS IN THE TAIL WITH ORIENTATION OF SUBSTITUTED AROMATIC RINGS IN THE CORE TO PRODUCE A FAMILY OF FLCS WITH EXTREMELY HIGH POLARIZATION AND LOW VISCOSITY FOR USE IN THE ABOVE STATED HIGH SPEED APPLICATIONS.