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

Sally Elizabeth Day

Kenneth J Toyne

Michael Hird

George W Gray

Edward P Raynes

John William Goodby

Kenneth J Harrison

Alexander J Seed

Damien Gerad McDonnel

David Coates

Damien Gerard McDonnell

John A Jenner

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

##STR1## Compounds of formula (I) where R is C.sub.1-15 alkyl, X is hydrogen, fluorine or chlorine, m and n are independently selected 1 or 0, W is C.sub.1-15 alkyl or alkoxy, CN or halogen, rings A and B are independently selected from phenyl, laterally fluoro- or chloro- substituted phenyl, transcyclohexyl, pyridyl, pyrimidyl or dioxanyl. Preferred embodiments have R=C.sub.3-8 and where W is alkyl or alkoxy then it is also preferable that W=C.sub.3-8. Where m=0, then preferably W=CN, and where m=1, then preferably W=alkyl.

Liquid crystal thiol 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.

Compounds of formula (I) where R is C.sub.1-15 alkyl, X is hydrogen, fluorine or chlorine, m and n are independently selected 1 or 0, W is C.sub.1-15 alkyl or alkoxy, CN or halogen, rings A and B Are independently selected from phenyl, laterally fluoro- or chloro- substituted phenyl, transcyclohexyl pyridyl, pyrimidyl or dioxanyl. Preferred embodiments have R=C.sub.3-8 and where W is alkyl or alkoxy then it is also preferable that W=C.sub.3-8. Where m=0, then preferably W=CN and where m=1, then preferably W=alkyl.

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Worcestershire, United Kingdom

Sally Elizabeth Day