Nippon Mining Co., Ltd.

Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.

Japan Energy Corporation

Isa Nishiyama

Atsushi Yoshizawa

Toshihiro Hirai

Nobuyuki Shiratori

Mitsuo Fukumasa

Akihisa Yokoyama

Atsushi Baba

Wataru Saito

A recording display medium is provided which can offer a high display contrast and is less likely to cause a lowering of contrast or disappearance of display even in low temperature and high temperature regions. A smectic liquid crystal composition, for use in the recording display medium, and use of the recording display medium are also provided. The liquid crystal composition comprises: at least one member selected from the group constituting of compounds represented by the following general formula (I): ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 represents an alkyl or alkoxy group having 8 to 18 carbon atoms; and at least one member selected from the group consisting of compounds represented by the following general formulae (II) to (VII): ##STR2## wherein R.sup.2, R.sup.4, R.sup.5, and R.sup.6 represent an alkyl group having 2 to 18 carbon atoms, R.sup.3, R.sup.7, R.sup.8, R.sup.9, and R.sup.10 represent an alkyl or alkoxy group having 2 to 18 carbon atoms, and X represents a halogen atom or an alkyl or alkoxy group having 2 to 18 carbon atoms.

Smectic liquid crystal composition for recording display medium,

This invention provides novel ester compounds represented by the following general formula (1): ##STR1## (wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are alkyl groups and may be the same or not, A and B are selected from a single bond and --COO--, X is selected from ##STR2## optically active bodies thereof and liquid crystal compositions containing at least one of these compounds.

Ester compounds and liquid crystal compositions containing the same

This invention provides a novel alkanoyl ester compound represented by general formula (I): ##STR1## (wherein A is of --, --O--, ##STR2## B is ##STR3## l and m are 1 or 2 provided that both are not simultaneously 2, k and n are an integer of 1 or more, respectively, provided that k&gt;n, and R is an alkyl group), a liquid crystal composition containing this compound, a novel alkanoylphenyl compound or a novel alkanoylbiphenyl compound as an intermediate for the production of the above compound, and a method of producing the same. These novel alkanoyl ester compounds are excellent in the stability against light and the like and can take a liquid crystal state at a wide temperature range. Particularly, these compounds form liquid crystals of ferroelectricity having a large spontaneous polarization and a fast response rate by introducing an optically active group into the compound, so that they develop a very excellent effect as a starting material for optoelectronics and its related elements.

Alkanoyl ester compounds and their intermediates and method of producing

This invention provides a novel halogen-containing ester compound represented by the following general formula (I): ##STR1## (wherein R is an alkyl group, A is selected from a single bond, --O--, --COO-- and --CO--, both of X and Y are halogen atoms or either one of X and Y is a halogen atom and the other is a hydrogen atom, each of m and n is 0 or 1, m+n=0 or 1, each of k and l is an integer of 1 or more, provide k&lt;l), a liquid crystal composition and a light switching element each containing the above compound as well as a novel fluorophenol compound represented by the following general formula (II): ##STR2## (wherein each of k and l is an integer of 1 or more, provided k&lt;l) as an intermediate for the synthesis of the above ester compound and a method of producing the same.

Novel halogen-containing ester compounds, and their intermediates, and

This invention provides novel biphenyl compounds represented by the following general formula (I): ##STR1## (wherein R is an alkyl group, A is selected from the single bond, --COO--, --OCO--, --OCOO-- and --CO--, and each of m and n is an integer of 1 or more, provided m&lt;n), optically active bodies thereof, liquid crystal compositions containing at least one of these compounds, light switching elements comprising at least one of the above compounds as a constituent element, and a method of producing the compound.

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Toda, Japan

Isa Nishiyama