Right-rotatory cholesteric liquid crystals: Derivatives of Δ8(14)-cholestanol

A new series of cholesteric liquid crystals which are derivatives of ${\Delta }^{\text{8(14)}}‐\mathrm{cholestanol}$ has been synthesized. Although some of the compounds are monotropic and others enantiotropic, on the average, they are liquid crystalline about 30°C lower than the cholesteryl equivalents. Their effective pitches, as measured by the method of mixtures, are all smaller than those of the equivalent cholesteryl compounds. A note‐worthy feature is that they are all strongly right handed, and from extrapolation of a plot of pitch vs number of alkyl carbons for the esters, it is expected that they will remain right handed up to C₁₆ chain length. Heretofore, only a few individual right‐handed cholesteric liquid crystals have been known.