Synthesis and Mesomorphic Properties of New Chiral Liquid-Crystalline Diols Miroslav Kaspar Alexej Bubnov Ve ˇ ra Hamplov a Vladimı ´ra Novotna Iveta Lhot akov a Institute of Physics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic Jaroslav Havlı ´c ˇek Institute of Chemical Technology, Technicka, Prague, Czech Republic Michal Ilavsky ´ Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic, and Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic Two series of new ferroelectric liquid-crystalline diols with 1,3-propandiol group connected by a flexible spacer to the mesogenic part of the molecule have been synthesized. Both series are laterally substituted by methyl, methoxy, or chlorine substituents in the meta position to the carboxylic group of the 4-alkoxybenzoate unit. Phases and phase-transition temperatures were determined by polarizing microscopy and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). Mesomorphic proper- ties of the studied compounds are compared and the effect of lateral substitution is evaluated. These new series of diols are predestined for preparation of liquid- crystalline polyurethanes by bulk polymerization in the temperature range of the SmC phase. Keywords: chiral diols; DSC studies; ferroelectric liquid crystals; monomers Address correspondence to Alexej Bubnov, Liquid Crystal Group, Department of Dielectrics, Institute of Physics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Na Slovance 2, 18221 Prague, Czech Republic. Fax: þ 420286890527, Phone: þ 420266052134, E-mail: bubnov@fzu.cz Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst., Vol. 428, pp. 49–63, 2005 Copyright # Taylor & Francis Inc. ISSN: 1542-1406 print=1563-5287 online DOI: 10.1080/154214090892744 49