Mesomorphic bipyridine building blocks bearing an sp3carbon and a hydroxy function

The synthesis of novel symmetrical liquid crystalline compounds based on 5-methyl-5-[2-(4-alkyloxyphenyl)-2-hydroxyethyl]-2,2-bipyridines is reported, together with some physical properties. Although the chelating head-groups are connected via a chiral sp3 carbon atom, all the materials are mesomorphic. Intermolecular hydrogen bonding between pyridino and hydroxy fragments in the mesophases is made apparent by FTIR spectroscopy.