Synthesis and properties of chiral liquid crystal compounds containing cinnamic acid groups

In this paper, eight new liquid crystal compounds containing cholesterol and camphoric acid as chiral agents were designed and synthesised, and the cinnamic acid group as a bridge bond is introduced into the system to make the synthesised liquid crystal compounds have certain optical properties with excellent liquid crystal properties. The structure of liquid crystal compounds was characterised by FT-IR, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR. The liquid crystal phase behaviour of liquid crystal compounds was characterised by POM, DSC and TGA. The optical properties of liquid crystal compounds were tested by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. The influence of different carbon chain lengths on liquid crystal performance and selective reflection performance was explored. The synthesised liquid crystal compounds were observed to exhibit diverse liquid crystalline textures, distinct selective reflection colours, and high thermal stability, demonstrating favourable optical properties. These chiral compounds demonstrate significant application potential, offering a viable pathway for chiral optical material development.