The theoretical prediction[1] of biaxial nematics (Nb) was proposed more than 20 years ago, which have been suggested promising for significant improvements of liquid crystal displays response time and viewing-angle characteristics.[2] With shape biaxiality, board-like nematogens were originally proposed to lead to the Nb phase and the first biaxial nematic phase from cross-like mesogens was not succeeded until 2012.[3] In that report, the theoretically predicted optimum length-breadth-width ratio for maximizing shape biaxiality has been practiced by the successful synthesis of cross-like 1,2,4,5-tetrasubstituted benzene (1) which achieved enantiomeric nematic phase behaviours. Various measurements were conducted for its biaxiality investigations. Though with a wide-temperature-range enantiomeric nematic phase, compound 1 still suffers from high melting temperatures. Herein, with similar length-breadth-width ratio, newly designed unsymmetrical cross-like compounds (2) are synthesized to afford low melting temperatures for facile biaxiality investigations (Figure 1).
