Specifically deuteriated intermediates for the synthesis of liquid crystals and liquid-crystalline polymers

The recent developments in solid state N.M.R. techniques have rendered deuterium a most attractive nucleus for use in the study of liquid crystals and other ordered systems. Its application often requires that the deuterium be positioned at specific sites in the molecule. Here, the preparation of such specifically labelled compounds for use in liquid crystal research is discussed. It is shown that many deuteriated liquid crystals can be prepared from a limited set of labelled intermediates. Strategies for the labelling of such intermediates in both aromatic and aliphatic sites based on experience gained in the author's laboratory during the last years are discussed. In the experimental section more than fifty procedures for obtaining specifically deuteriated intermediates and mesogens are described in detail