Chisso Corporation

Chisso Petrochemical Corporation

Hiromichi Inoue

Shinichi Saito

Kazutoshi Miyazawa

Takashi Inukai

Kouji Ohno

Kanetsugu Terashima

Makoto Ushioda

Yasuyuki Goto

Masahiro Fukui

Hideo Sato

Kenji Furukawa

Mitsuyoshi Ichihashi

Naoyuki Yoshida

Susumu Tokita

Shigeru Sugimori

Kisei Kitano

Ryushi Shundo

Tomohiro Etou

Masatoshi Fukushima

Ryushi Syundo

Susumu Koyama

Mitsuyoshi Inchihashi

Provided is a liquid-crystalline, polymerizable vinyl ketone compound of formula (1): Preferably, Ris hydrogen, halogen, &#x2014;CN, &#x2014;CF, &#x2014;CFH, &#x2014;CFH, &#x2014;OCF, &#x2014;OCFH, or alkyl, alkoxy, alkoxyalkyl or alkenyl having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms; R, Rand Rare hydrogen; Ato Aare independently 1,4-cyclohexylene, 1,4-cyclohexenylene or 1,4-phenylene where any hydrogen may be substituted with halogen; Zto Zare independently a single bond, &#x2014;(CH)&#x2014;, &#x2014;CH&#x2550;CH&#x2014;, &#x2014;CF&#x2550;CF&#x2014;, &#x2014;OCF&#x2014; or &#x2014;CFO&#x2014;; Zis a single bond, &#x2014;(CH)&#x2014; or &#x2014;(CH)&#x2014;; m, n and q are independently 0, 1 or 2. The uppermost temperature of the liquid crystalline phase of the compound is high, and the compound has good compatibility with other compounds and has the necessary characteristics such as optical anisotropy. Also provided are a polymer having many good characteristics of transparency, mechanical strength, coatability, solubility, crystallinity, shrinkage, water permeability, water absorption, melting point, glass transition point, clearing point and chemical resistance; an optically-anisotropic material of the polymer; a liquid-crystal display device that comprises the polymer; and a method for producing the liquid-crystalline compound.

Liquid-crystalline vinyl ketone derivatives and their polymers

The present invention provides a compound represented by formula (1) defined in the specification. The invention further provides a liquid crystal composition comprising at least two compounds, which at least one compound out of them is the above compound. The invention still further provides a polymer obtained by polymerizing the above composition, and uses of the polymer such as a molded article having an optical anisotropy, an optical compensation element, a wavelength functional plate, an optical element, and a liquid crystal display element comprising the polymer.

Photo-curable fluorene derivative and composition containing the same

A novel optically active liquid crystal compound and a liquid crystal composition containing the same are provided, which compound is expressed by the formula ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 is alkyl or alkoxy of 4-18 C; R.sub.2 is alkyl, alkoxy, acyl or alkoxymethyl of 4-18C; but either one of R.sub.1 or R.sub.2 is an optically active group; either one of X.sub.1 or X.sub.2 is halogen atom and the other is H; m and n each are 0 or 1 and m+n is 0 or 1.

Halogen-containing, optically active liquid crystal compound and liquid

A novel lactone compound exhibiting a larger spontaneous polarization value when added to ferroelectric liquid crystal compositions as a basic substance, than those of so far known lactone compounds, and yet having a relatively low viscosity, and a liquid crystal composition comprising the compound, and further a liquid crystal element using the same are provided, the lactone compound being expressed by the formula ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 is a linear or branched alkyl group or alkoxy group of 1-15C, R.sup.2 is a linear or branched alkyl group of 1-16C, --A-- is single bond, 1,4-phenylene group or 1,4-cyclohexylene group and * is an asymmetric carbon atom.

Lactone compound and composition comprising the same

.alpha.-hydroxyketone derivatives represented by the general formula (I) which are novel optically active compounds; liquid crystal compositions, such as chiral smectic or chiral nematic compositions, containing the derivatives; and liquid crystal devices using the compositions. ##STR1## wherein A and B are independently a radical represented by the general formula (II): ##STR2## wherein R.sup.2 is an aliphatic hydrocarbon having 1 to 16 carbon atoms, which may contain --O-- and may be substituted by a cyano group and/or a halogen atom, ##STR3## are independently a single bond, ##STR4## etc., X and Y are independently a single bond, or --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 --, etc., or an aliphatic hydrocarbon having 1 to 16 carbon atoms; R.sup.1 is an alkyl group, a phenyl group, or a cyclohexyl group; n is 0 or 1; and the asterisk (*) indicates an asymmetric carbon atom.

.alpha.-hydroxyketone derivatives, liquid crystal compositions

A 2-substituted-alkyl ether having an optically active group and useful as a component of ferroelectric liquid crystal compositions and a liquid crystal composition containing the same are provided, which 2-substituted-alkyl ether is expressed by the formula ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 represents a linear or branched chain alkyl, alkoxy, alkanoyl, alkanoyloxy or alkoxycarbonyl of 1 to 18 C; R.sup.2 represents a linear or branched alkyl of 2 to 15 C; ##STR2## each independently represents ##STR3## wherein Y represents cyano, halogen, methyl or methoxy; X represents --OR.sup.3, ##STR4## F, Cl or Br wherein R.sup.3 represents a linear or branched alkyl group of 1 to 10 C of H; and * indicates asymmetric C.

2-substituted-alkyl ether and liquid crystal composition

An optically active compound having a large spontaneous polarization ps value (ps) particularly for realizing a high speed response, and a liquid crystal composition are provided, which compound is an optically active 2,5-diphenylpyrimidine compound expressed by the formula ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 is 1-20C alkyl or alkoxy, R.sup.2 is 1-20C alkyl, A is ##STR2## and * indicates an asymmetric carbon atom.

2,5-diphenylpyrimidine compound

An optically active compound particularly useful as a component of liquid crystal compositions having a high response rate and a chiral liquid crystal composition containing the same are provided, which optically active compound is expressed by the formula (I) ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 represents alkyl or alkoxy each of 1-20 C, H, halogen or CN; ##STR2## and ##STR3## each represent a specified six-membered ring; R.sup.2 represents alkyl of 1-20 C; the asterisk designates an asymmetric carbon atom; and m and n each represents 0 or 1.

1,2-propanediol derivative

An optically active compound having a large spontaneous polarization value and capable of affording a composition exhibiting a suitable ferroelectric liquid crystal temperature range and a liquid crystal composition containing the same are provided, which compound is expressed by the formula ##STR1## wherein either one of R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 represents an alkyl group or an alkoxy group each of 1 to 20 carbon atoms and another thereof represents an optically active group.

Optically active 2-biphenylpyrimidine derivative and liquid crystal

An optically active compound exhibiting high speed response properties when used as a component of liquid crystal materials used in a liquid crystal display mode utilizing ferroelectricity, and a liquid crystal composition containing the compound are provided, which compound is expressed by the formula ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 represents alkyl, alkoxy or alkoxycarbonyl each of 2 to 18 C, R.sup.2 represents alkyl of 3 to 18 C or alkoxy of 1 to 18 C and A represents a member selected from a group of two directly bonded six-membered rings having a halogen atom, cyano group, methyl group or trifluoromethyl group attached thereonto and * represents an unsymmetric carbon atom.

.alpha.-substituted-propionic acid esters

A liquid crystal compound suitable as a material for ferroelectric liquid crystal display elements and a liquid crystal composition containing the same are provided, which liquid crystal compound is an optically active-2,5-diphenylpyridine expressed by the formula (I) ##STR1## wherein one of R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 is 1-20C alkenyl, alkynyl, alkoxy, alkenyloxy or alkynyloxy and the other is an optically active group; and X and Y each independently represent H, halogen or CN and at least one of X and Y is H.

Optically active-2,5-diphenylpyridine

Novel compounds characterized by increased spontaneous polarization values as one of the important specific features required for ferroelectric liquid crystal compositions, a liquid crystal composition containing the same, and an optical switching element utilizing the composition as a liquid crystal. The compounds are expressed by the formula (I) or (I') ##STR1##

W-substituted, optically active alkanol ester derivatives

A compound capable of shortening the response time of liquid crystal display elements and a composition containing the same are provided, which compound is expressed by the formula ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 represents a linear or branched chain alkyl group or alkoxy group, each of 1C-18C; Ar represents ##STR2## wherein X represents H, halogen atom, cyano group or methyl; A represents --COO-- or --CH.sub.2 O--; R.sup.2 represents a C.sub.1 -C.sub.18 alkyl, A C.sub.2 -C.sub.18 alkanoyl, a C.sub.3 -C.sub.18 alkoxycarbonyl or a C.sub.4 -C.sub.18 2-alkoxypropanoyl; C having a symbol * attached thereonto represents asymmetric carbon atom; and when R.sup.2 represents a linear chain alkyl and A represents --COO--, Ar is not ##STR3##

Optically active 2-substituted-propyl ether and a liquid crystal

An optically active substance which, when added as a component of ferroelectric liquid crystal compositions, is extremely small in the reduction of the resulting liquid crystal temperature region, and a liquid crystal composition containing the same are provided, which substance is an optically active-2-alkoxy-propyl ether expressed by the formula (I) ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 represents a straight or branched chain alkyl, alkoxy, alkanoyl, alkanoyloxy or alkoxycarbonyl each of 1 to 18 C; R.sup.2 represents a linear or branched chain alkyl each of 1 to 15 C; --A-- represents a specified group constituted by two directly bonded, six-membered rings; and * indicates asymmetric carbon atom.

Optically active-2-alkoxy-propyl ether and liquid crystal composition

An optically active compound having particularly a specific feature of increasing spontaneous polarization value as one of important specific features for ferroelectric liquid crystal compositions, and a ferroelectric liquid crystal composition containing the compound are provided, which compound is expressed by the formula ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 represents a linear or branched chain alkyl, alkoxy, alkanoyl, alkoxycarbonyl or alkoxycarbonyloxy each of 1 -15C, H, halogen or -CN; R.sup.2 represents an optically active group having 2-20 skeletal atoms, ##STR2## wherein X represents H, halogen or -CN; l represents an integer of 1-10; m is 0 or 1; and * indicates asymmetric C.

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Kanagawa, Japan

Hiromichi Inoue