The smectic layer spacing of a nonfluorinated ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) compound with almost no shrinkage and only minor tendency to form zigzag defects was characterized by small angle x-ray diffraction. The material lacks a nematic phase. The smectic-$A^{*}$–smectic-$C^{*}$ phase transition was studied by measuring the thermal and electric field response of the optical tilt and the electric polarization. These properties are described very well by a Landau expansion even without introduction of a higher-order ${\Theta }^6$ term. This result suggests a pure second-order phase transition far from tricriticality and differs considerably from the typical behavior of the $A^{*}-C^{*}$ transition in most FLC materials.

Novel azobenzene-based photosensitive mesogens with lactate chiral units were synthesized. In order to modify the rate of the thermal Z–E isomerization of these compounds, small lateral substituents were introduced into their core in the proximity of the azo group. The influence of lateral substitution on the kinetics of the Z–E isomerization, mesomorphic behaviour, and UV-Vis absorption spectra was studied. It was found that the position of the substituents in the azobenzene core significantly affects the rate of their thermal isomerization. The stability of Z-isomers of several studied compounds is comparable to that of compounds with complex molecular structures designed for optical data storage. Although lateral substitution influences the breadth/length ratio of the core, liquid-crystalline properties of the studied materials have been preserved.

New series of liquid crystals with a chiral chain containing two asymmetric carbon atoms in two lactate groups have been synthesized. Some compounds have a third asymmetric centre in an (S)-2-methylbutyl alkyl chain. All the new compounds have SmA, SmC* and hexatic phases. Two of the homologues with three chiral centres also exhibit very wide SmC_A phases and one of them a re-entrant SmC* phase. The phases are characterized by DSC, dielectric, and X-ray studies. Spontaneous polarization and tilt angle are determined for the polar phases.

New photosensitive liquid crystalline compounds with a specific molecular structure have been designed in order to use them as functional dopants for organic photovoltaic devices.