gem-Difluorocyclopropane as core molecule candidate for liquid crystal compounds

The synthesis of a novel chiral gem-difluorocyclopropane building block has been accomplished using chemo-enzymatic reaction protocol; the prochiral diol of 1,4-bis(2,2-difluoro-3-(hydroxymethyl)cyclopropyl)benzene (5) was converted to the corresponding chiral diacetate by Pseudomonas lipase (lipase SL-25, Meito)-catalyzed transesterification with vinyl acetate as acyl donor with >99% enantiomeric excess. Various types of diesters or dialkyl ether were prepared from the diol and their helical twisting power (HTP) was evaluated by addition of 1.0 wt% to a non-chiral nematic liquid crystal host; the HTP was significantly dependent on the structure of ester or ether moieties and diester of diol 5 with isopropylfumalic acid showed the largest HTP.