Provide is a polar compound having high chemical stability, high capability of aligning liquid crystal molecules, high solubility in a liquid crystal composition, and a large voltage holding ratio when the compound is used in a liquid crystal display device. The problem is solved by a compound represented by formula (1).

##STR00001##

For example, R.sup.1 is alkyl having 1 to 15 carbons; rings A.sup.1 to A.sup.5 are cyclohexylene or phenylene; Z.sup.1, Z.sup.4 and Z.sup.5 are a single bond or alkylene having 1 to 10 carbons; a, b and c are 0 to 4; d and e are 1 to 4; P.sup.2 and P.sup.3 are a polymerizable group; and Sp.sup.2 and Sp.sup.3 are a single bond or alkylene having 1 to 10 carbons.

A liquid-crystalline medium which comprises at least one compound selected from the group of compounds of the formulae IA to IH,

##STR00001##

in which Z.sup.1 denotes a single bond, CH.sub.2CH.sub.2, CH?CH, CH.sub.2O, OCH.sub.2, CF.sub.2O, OCF.sub.2, COO, OCO, C.sub.2F.sub.4, (CH.sub.2).sub.4, CHFCHF, CF.sub.2CH.sub.2, CH.sub.2CF.sub.2, C?C, CF?CF, CH?CHCHO or CH.sub.2CF.sub.2O,
and the use thereof for an active-matrix display, in particular based on the VA, PSA, PS-VA, PALC, FFS, PS-FFS, SA-VA, PS-IPS or IPS effect.

The present invention belongs to the technical field of liquid crystal materials, and in particular relates to a liquid crystal composition and a liquid crystal display element or liquid crystal display containing the liquid crystal composition. The present invention discloses a liquid crystal composition, comprising one or more compounds represented by Formula I, one or more compounds represented by Formula II, and one or more compounds represented by Formula III. The liquid crystal composition of the present invention has a large optical anisotropy and a small ratio of ?.sub.1/K.sub.11, and can be used for developing a liquid crystal display element or liquid crystal display with a low cell thickness and a fast response. ##STR00001##

The present invention relates to liquid crystalline media comprising one or more benzothiadiazol derivatives of formula I,

##STR00001##

in which R.sup.11, R.sup.12, A.sup.11, A.sup.12, A.sup.21, A.sup.22, Z.sup.11, Z.sup.12, Z.sup.21, Z.sup.22, W, X.sup.11, X.sup.12, r and s have the meanings indicated in claim 1, to the use of such liquid crystal media for optical, electro-optical and electronic purposes, in particular in devices for regulating the passage of energy from an outside space into an inside space, for example in windows.

To show a liquid crystal composition having at least one or a suitable balance regarding at least two of characteristics such as a short response time, a large voltage holding ratio, a low threshold voltage, a large contrast ratio, a long service life and a small flicker rate; and an AM device having characteristics such as a short response time, a large voltage holding ratio, a low threshold voltage, a large contrast ratio and a long service life. The liquid crystal composition has a negative dielectric anisotropy and contains a specific compound having a large negative dielectric anisotropy as a first component, and the composition may contain a specific compound having a high maximum temperature or a small viscosity as a second component, a specific compound having a large negative dielectric anisotropy as a third component, and a specific compound having a polymerizable group as an additive component.

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 CHCH, and in the groups, at least one hydrogen may be replaced by halogen.

An optically anisotropic layer including a polymer and a compound having a mesogen skeleton, wherein the polymer has a property such that a film of the polymer that is formed by a coating method using a solution of the polymer satisfies nz(P)>nx(P)?ny(P), wherein nx(P) is a refractive index in a direction which, among in-plane directions of the film, gives a maximum refractive index, ny(P) is a refractive index in a direction which is perpendicular to the direction of nx(P) among the in-plane directions of the film, and nz(P) a refractive index in a thickness direction of the film, and the compound having a mesogen skeleton shows an in-plane retardation with reverse wavelength distribution under specific conditions.

The invention relates to substituted quinquephenyls of the formulae indicated in the claims and description. They are particularly suitable as UV-stabilizing component in liquid-crystalline media.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a compound that can provide a liquid crystal composition with a high T.sub.ni, a high ?n, a low V.sub.th, a high ??.sub.r, a low tan ?.sub.iso, and high storage stability at low temperatures, a liquid crystal composition, as well as a liquid crystal display element, a sensor, a liquid crystal lens, optical communication equipment, and an antenna each using this. Specifically disclosed are a compound represented by the general formula (i) having an ethynylene group (C?C) and an isothiocyanate group (NCS) and a liquid crystal composition containing one or two or more of the compounds.

The disclosure provides a liquid crystalline compound that has at least one of physical properties such as high stability with respect to heat and light, a high clearing point (or a high upper limit temperature), a low lower limit temperature of a liquid crystal phase, a low viscosity, suitable optical anisotropy, large negative dielectric anisotropy, a suitable elastic constant, favorable compatibility with other liquid crystalline compounds at room temperature and low temperatures, a liquid crystal composition including the compound, and a liquid crystal display element including the composition. The compound is represented by Formula (1).

##STR00001##

Here, R.sup.1 is an alkyl group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms in which one CH.sub.2CH.sub.2 is substituted with CHCH; R.sup.2 is an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms; ring A.sup.1 is 1,4-cyclohexylene; Y.sup.1 and Y.sup.2 are hydrogen or fluorine; Z.sup.1 is a single bond; and n.sup.1 is 1 or 2.