The Secretary of State for Defence in Her Britannic Majesty's Government

The Secretary of State for Defence in Her Britannic Majesty's Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Alexander J Seed

Kenneth J Toyne

John William Goodby

Michael Hird

George W Gray

Edward P Raynes

Kenneth J Harrison

Sally Elizabeth Day

Damien Gerad McDonnel

Damien Gerard McDonnell

Amarjit Kaur Samra

Liquid crystal compounds of formula (I) are described, where formula (I) is given as R,&mdash;A&mdash;(X),&mdash;(B),&mdash;R,where A is selected from naphthyl, fluorinated naphthyl, brominated naphthyl, B is selected from phenyl, methylated phenyl, brominated phenyl, fluorinated phenyl, thiophene, pyrimidine and pyridine. R,and R,are independently selected from alkyl, alkoxy, akynyl, thioalkyl, Br, CN, SCN, NCS, perfluoroalkyl, perfluoroalkoxy and hydrogen, X is selected from C&equiv;C, COO and C&equiv;C, m is 0 or 1, n is 0 or 1 where m is 1 and n is 0 where m is 0; provided that where A is naphthyl, n is 1 and m is 0 then B is selected from methylated phenyl, brominated phenyl, thiophene, pyrimidine and pyridine; and further provided that where A is naphthyl, X is C&equiv;C, m is 1 and n is 1, then B is selected from thiophene, pyrimidine and pyridine. Also described are liquid crystal compounds suitable for inclusion in devices utilizing pretransitional characteristics of liquid crystalline materials in the isotropic phase and described by formula (II): R,&mdash;J&mdash;(Y),&mdash;(Z),&mdash;R,, where J is selected from nathhyl, fluorinated naphthyl, brominated naphthyl, Z is selected from phenyl, methylated phenyl, brominated phenyl, fluorinated phenyl, thiophene, pyrimidine and pyridine, R,and R,are independently selected from alkyl, alkoxy, alkynyl, thioalkyl, Br, CN, SCN, NCS, perfluoroalkyl, perfluoroalkoxy and hydrogen, Y is selected from C&boxH;C, COO and C&boxH;C, p is 0 or 1, q is 0 or 1 where p is 1 and q is 0 where p is 0.

Naphthyl organic compounds

##STR1## The invention describes liquid crystalline compounds or formula (I), where A, D and G are independently selected from phenyl, thiophene, hydrogenated phenyl, chlorinated phenyl and fluorinated phenyl, B and E are independently selected from a single bond C.dbd..notident.C. C.tbd.C.C00, azoxy and diazo, k and m are independently selected from 1 and 0, such that m+n is 1 or 2, and R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are independently selected from R, R0, alkynyl, thioalkyl, hydrogen, CN, NCS and SCN; provided that at least one of R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 is selected from CN, NCS and SCN and that at least one of A, D and G is phenyl; and excluding where at least one of R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 is independently selected as CN and one of A, D or G is not thiophene, and where m is 0, A, and D are phenyl, B is a single bond and only one of R.sub.1 or R.sub.2 is NCS. Also described are compounds suitable for inclusion in a device utilizing pretransitional characteristics of liquid crystalline materials in the isotropic phase, of general formula (II) where J and Y are independently selected from phenyl, thiophene, hydrogenated phenyl, chlorinated phenyl and fluorinated phenyl, X is selected from C.dbd..notident.C. C.tbd.C.COO azoxy and diazo, k is 1 or 0 and R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are independently selected from R, RO, alkynyl, thioalkyl, hydrogen, CN, NCS and SCN; provided that at least one of R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 is selected from CN, NCS and SCN and that at least one of J and Y is phenyl.

Anisotropic organic compounds

Thio-ester compounds and mixtures and devices containing such compounds

Liquid crystal compounds of formula (I) are described, where formula (I) is given as R.sub.1 --A--(X.sub.m --(B).sub.n --R.sub.2 where A is selected from nathyl, flourinated naphthyl, brominated naphthyl, B is selected from phenyl, methylated phenyl, brominated phenyl, fluorinated phenyl, thiophene, pyrimidine and pyridine, R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are independently selected from alkyl, alkoxy, alkynyl, thioalkyl, Br, CN, SCN, NCS, perfluoroalkyl, perfluoroalkoxy and hydrogen, X is selected from C.tbd.C, COO and C.tbd.C, m is 0 or 1, n is 0 or 1 where m is 1 and n is 0 where m is 0; provided that where A is naphthyl, n is 1 and m is 0 then B is selected from methylated phenyl, brominated phenyl, thiophene, pyrimidine and pyridine; and further provided that where A is naphthyl, X is C.tbd.C, m is 1 and n is 1, then B is selected from thiophene, pyrimidine and pyridine. Also described are liquid crystal compounds suitable for inclusion in devices utilizing pretransitional characteristics of liquid crystalline materials in the isotropic phase and described by formula (II): R.sub.3 --J--(Y).sub.p --(Z).sub.q --R.sub. 4, where J is selected from nathyl, fluorinated naphthyl, brominated naphthyl, Z is selected from phenyl, methylated phenyl, brominated phenyl, fluorinated phenyl, thiophene, pyrimidine and pyridine, R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are independently selected from alkyl, alkoxy, alkynyl, thioalkyl, Br, CN, SCN, NCS, perfluoroalkyl, perfluoroalkoxy and hydrogen, Y is selected from C.dbd.C, COO and C.dbd.C, p is 0 or 1, q is 0 or 1 where p is 1 and q is 0 where p is 0.

Growing community of inventors

Hull, United Kingdom

Alexander J Seed