Compounds of the formula I, ##STR00001##
in which Y.sup.1 denotes —O— or —CH.sub.2—, and the groups R.sup.1, L.sup.1 to L.sup.6 and X.sup.1 have the meanings indicated in claim 1. A process for the preparation thereof, and liquid-crystalline media comprising at least one compound of the formula I and electro-optical displays containing a liquid-crystalline medium this type. The compounds of the formula I include, as structural element, a combination of a 1,4-substituted cyclohexene ring besides a dioxane or tetrahydropyran ring and a substituted biphenyl group.

Provided are a polymerizable compound having at least one monovalent group (A), a polymerizable composition containing the polymerizable compound, a liquid crystal composite prepared from the polymerizable composition, and a liquid crystal device having the polymerizable composition. ##STR00001## In monovalent group (A), R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are independently hydrogen, halogen or alkyl having 1 to 20 carbons, and in the alkyl, at least one piece of —CH.sub.2— may be replaced by —O— or —S—, and at least one piece of —(CH.sub.2).sub.2— may be replaced by —CH═CH—, and in the groups, at least one hydrogen may be replaced by halogen.

A compound having the structure of general formula I is useful as a liquid crystal composition and as a photoelectric display device including the liquid crystal composition. The compound having the structure of general formula I is chemically and physically stable, and has higher clearing point, and both large dielectric anisotropy and large optical anisotropy at the same time. The compound having the structure of general formula I is well compatible with other liquid crystal compounds when applied in a liquid crystal composition, the composition has good stability especially in a low-temperature environment, the characteristic of fast response and a wide range of applicabilities, especially applicable to the IPS-type and TN-TFT-type liquid crystal display devices. ##STR00001##

The response of biological cells to applied stress is central to the functioning of living systems. The present disclosure is directed to systems, compositions and methods for rapidly reporting biomechanical properties of cells or cellular organelles at a single cell or population level.

Polyfluorinated additives for use as components in liquid-crystal mixtures. Liquid-crystal mixtures which comprise these compounds. And liquid-crystal displays based on these liquid-crystal mixtures.

Disclosed are a liquid crystal composition and a liquid crystal display device. The liquid crystal composition comprises at least one compound of general formula I, at least one compound of general formula II, at least one compound of general formula III, and at least one compound of general formula IV. By compounding the four compounds, the composition can have advantages of a wide temperature range of nematic phase, a low viscosity and a low threshold voltage, and the liquid crystal display element can have a short response time and great power saving performance.

The spontaneous orientation aid for a liquid crystal composition provides storage stability and allows liquid crystal molecules to be vertically aligned without a PI layer when added to a liquid crystal composition. When used in a liquid crystal composition, the spontaneous orientation aid can adsorb to substrates sandwiching a liquid crystal composition (liquid crystal layer) and keep the liquid crystal molecules aligned in a vertical direction. The spontaneous orientation aid makes it possible to align liquid crystal molecules without a PI layer (to induce vertical alignment of liquid crystal molecules under no applied voltage and to achieve horizontal alignment of the liquid crystal molecules under an applied voltage).

The present invention relates to liquid-crystal (LC) media having negative dielectric anisotropy comprising one or more compounds of formula I

##STR00001##

and one, two, three or more compounds of formula III

##STR00002##

as defined in claim 1, and to the use of the LC media for optical, electro-optical and electronic purposes, in particular useful to enable energy-saving LC displays of the VA, IPS or FFS type.

LC media and LC displays containing an LC medium with positive dielectric anisotropy, which contains one or more compounds of formula I in a concentration of >0 and ≤10% ##STR00001##
and displays addressed by an active matrix and in particular displays of the IPS, PS-IPS, FFS, PS-FFS, HB-FFS, U-IPS, TN, PS-TN, STN or TN-TFT mode.

The present invention provides a compound represented by the general formula (i), which has a partial structure K.sup.i1 represented by one of the general formulae (K-1) to (K-6) and has a ring B with at least one P-Sp- group and with at least one R.sup.i2 (R.sup.i2 denotes a linear or branched alkyl group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms or a linear or branched halogenated alkyl group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, —CH.sub.2— in the alkyl or halogenated alkyl group is optionally substituted with —CH═CH—, —O—, —COO—, or —OCO—, but —O— is not adjacent to another —O—). Thus, the compound in a liquid crystal composition adsorbs to substrates between which the liquid crystal composition (a liquid crystal layer) exists. The compound can hold vertically aligned liquid crystal molecules, can improve alignment stability, and can ensure low-temperature storage stability.