The present invention is a liquid crystal composition having negative dielectric anisotropy containing one or two or more of compounds represented by General Formula (i), and is also a liquid crystal display element using the liquid crystal composition. The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal composition with a large refractive index anisotropy (n), a low rotational viscosity (.sub.1), a large elastic constant (K.sub.33), a high voltage holding ratio (VHR), and which has a negative dielectric anisotropy (), and a liquid crystal display element which, when using the liquid crystal composition, has a high response speed with excellent display quality in which display defects such as drop marks, burn-in, and display unevenness are absent or suppressed.

The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display element including a pair of a substrate arranged opposite to each other, an electrode group disposed on one side or both sides of the pair of substrates facing each other, a plurality of active elements connected to the electrode group, a liquid crystal alignment film disposed on each facing side of the pair of substrates, and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the pair of substrates, wherein the liquid crystal alignment film is manufactured by irradiating linearly polarized light to a film obtained from polyamic acid or a derivative thereof having a photoisomerization structure in the main chain or a film being subject to heat-baking so as to provide alignment-controlling capability, and the liquid crystal layer is a liquid crystal composition having negative () dielectric anisotropy. By the present invention, a liquid crystal display element having improved image sticking characteristics and good alignment stability is provided.

An object of the invention is to provide a polymerizable compound having small refractive index anisotropy and having high storage stability and high alignment properties when constituting a polymerizable liquid crystal composition, and provide a polymerizable liquid crystal composition containing the polymerizable compound. Further, the object is to provide a polymer produced by polymerizing the polymerizable liquid crystal composition and an optically anisotropic body including the polymer. The present invention provides a polymerizable compound represented by general formula (I), a polymerizable liquid crystal composition containing the compound as a constituent component, and further provides a polymer produced by polymerizing the polymerizable liquid crystal composition and an optically anisotropic body including the polymer.

Provided are a liquid crystal composition containing a compound represented by general formula (I-IV):

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and a compound represented by general formula (I):

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and a liquid crystal display device including the liquid crystal composition. The liquid crystal composition according to the present invention has a sufficiently low viscosity (), a sufficiently low rotational viscosity (1), a high elastic constant (K.sub.33), a high voltage holding ratio after UV exposure (VHR(UV)), and a large absolute value of negative dielectric anisotropy () without decreased refractive index anisotropy (n) or nematic-isotropic liquid phase transition temperature (T.sub.ni). The display device including the liquid crystal composition has fast response time and good display quality with reduced or no display defects.

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 (CC) and an isothiocyanate group (NCS) and a liquid crystal composition containing one or two or more of the compounds.