Several dialkyl and fluoro bis-tolane liquid crystals were synthesized and their physical properties evaluated. These highly conjugated liquid crystals exhibit a wide nematic range, small heat fusion enthalpy, high birefringence, and relatively low viscosity. Their excellent compatibility with commercial cyano mixtures makes these liquid crystals attractive for many electro-optic applications.

Methods for synthesizing bistolane liquid crystal materials with lateral methyl and ethyl substituents are presented. Some of the bistolanes are nematic at room temperature. These highly conjugated mesogens exhibit wide nematic ranges, small enthalpies of fusion, high birefringence and modest viscosity. Their potential applications for at panel displays employing light scattering or Bragg re ection and for infrared optically phased arrays are foreseeable.

A tandem reaction tactic for the preparation of a jasmonoid intermediate consists of pyrolysis of a spiroannulated cyclopentanone. The thermal decomposition actually involves a retro‐Diels‐Alder reaction and a homo‐1,5‐hydrogen shift with cleavage of the cyclopropane unit.

We report several bis-tolane liquid crystals exhibiting high birefringence (∆ ∆ ∆ ∆n~0.4), wide nematic range and modest viscosity. Their applications for display devices based on Bragg reflection and light scattering are emphasized.

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