Thiophene-based bent-shaped luminescent liquid crystals: synthesis and characterisation

Five new bent-shaped compounds based on the 2,5-disubstituted thiophene central core were successfully synthesised. The lengths of the rigid centres as well as the degree of conjugation were varied by coupling benzene, naphthalene and biphenyl systems to the thiophene through Sonogashira cross-coupling. The thermal, mesomorphic and optical properties of these variants were determined. Compounds 5a,b and 8a displayed liquid-crystalline smectic and nematic mesophases. Strong blue fluorescence was observed for the final compounds.