Optically Active Ketones with Intramolecular Hydrogen Bond

New ferroelectric liquid crystal compounds having an optically active alkanoyl group on one side and a chiral group derived from lactic acid on the other side of the core were synthesized. The new compounds with a three-ring core exhibit very large spontaneous polarization, when the signs of the spontaneous polarization due to the two chiral groups are the same. In particular, the compounds with an intramolecular hydrogen bond show larger spontaneous polarization as high as 1130 nC/cm(2). The spontaneous polarization values are much greater than the sums of the spontaneous polarization for corresponding compounds having one of the two chiral groups. The dopant properties of the new compounds were also studied.