The present invention relates to liquid crystalline media comprising one or more naphthothiadiazol 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, L, r, s and t 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.

The invention relates to a liquid-crystalline medium based on a mixture of polar compounds having positive dielectric anisotropy, characterised in that it comprises one or more compounds of the formula I in a total concentration of ≥40%, ##STR00001##
in which the parameters have the meanings indicated in claim 1, and to the use of the liquid-crystalline medium for electro-optical purposes, in particular in liquid-crystal light valves for lighting devices for motor vehicles, and to liquid-crystal light valves which comprise this medium and lighting devices for motor vehicles which contain such liquid-crystal light valves.

The invention relates to a compound of formula I,

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.11, R.sup.21, A.sup.11, A, Z, X.sup.11, X.sup.21, Y.sup.11, Y.sup.12, Sp.sup.11, Sp.sup.21, o and p have one of the meanings as given in claim 1. The invention further relates to method of production of a compound of formula I, to the use of said compounds in LC media and to LC media comprising one or more compounds of formula I. Further, the invention relates to a method of production of such LC media, to the use of such media in LC devices, and to LC device comprising a LC medium according to the present invention. The present invention further relates to a process for the fabrication such liquid crystal display and to the use of the liquid crystal mixtures according to the invention for the fabrication of such liquid crystal display.

The invention relates to a liquid-crystalline medium, preferably having a nematic phase and dielectric anisotropy of 0.5 or more, which comprises one or more compounds of formula T

##STR00001## in which

##STR00002##

and the other parameters have the meanings given in the text,
to the use thereof in an electro-optical display, particularly in an active-matrix display based on the IPS or FFS effect, to displays of this type which contain a liquid-crystalline medium of this type, and to the compounds of formula T and their use for the improvement of the transmission and/or response times of a liquid-crystalline medium which comprises one or more additional mesogenic compounds.

An object of the present invention is to provide a composition that realizes high Δn, has a wide liquid crystal phase temperature range, small viscosity, excellent low-temperature solubility, and high resistivity and voltage holding ratio, and is stable against heat and light, and to provide a liquid crystal composition having an excellent lens effect and excellent chemical stability using the composition, and a liquid crystal display device and a liquid crystal lens that use the liquid crystal composition. The present invention provides a liquid crystal composition that contains one or two or more compounds represented by general formula (i) and one or two or more compounds represented by general formula (ii), a liquid crystal display device using the liquid crystal composition, a liquid crystal lens using the liquid crystal composition, and a birefringence lens for stereoscopic image display using the liquid crystal composition.

A double layer liquid crystal device comprises a first and a second layer with orthogonal or crossed alignment of the liquid crystal phase of the two layers, in which the first and second layer have first and second alignment aids comprised of a polymerized or polymerizable molecular compound. The layers are aligned by UV photoalignment and vertical self-alignment by the aid of suitable additives.

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.

A liquid crystal composition including liquid crystalline compounds, polymerizable compounds, and dichroic dyes in which the polymerizable compound includes at least one compound represented by Formula (1),
R.sup.11-MES-Sp.sup.11-P.sup.11  (1)
in Formula (1), R.sup.11 is an alkyl group having 1 to 15 carbon atoms; MES is a mesogenic group having at least one ring, and in the ring in MES, at least one hydrogen atom is optionally substituted with -Sp.sup.11-P.sup.11; Sp.sup.11 is a single bond or an alkylene group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and in this alkylene group, at least one —CH.sub.2— is optionally substituted with —O—, —CO—, —COO—, —OCO—, or —OCOO—, and at least one —(CH.sub.2).sub.2— is optionally substituted with —CH═CH— or —C≡C—, and in these groups, at least one hydrogen atom is optionally substituted with a polymerizable group; P.sup.11 is a polymerizable group or a polar group, or a group having both polymerization and polarity.

Provide are a liquid crystal compound represented by formula I, and a liquid crystal mixture comprising the compound ##STR00001## A lateral trifluoromethyl-containing liquid crystal compound having the structural characteristics of Formula I not only has a negative dielectric anisotropy (Δε), an appropriate optical anisotropy (Δn), a higher clearing point (CP), a prominent low-temperature miscibility with other liquid crystals, and a low rotary viscosity (γ1), but also has a good stability to UV and high temperatures, particularly, a negative dielectric anisotropy. Same can be applied to the formulation of liquid crystal compositions of positive and negative types, and it is particularly prominent that same has the advantages of a good solubility at low temperatures and a high transmittance.

An object of the present invention is to provide a composition that realizes high n, has a wide liquid crystal phase temperature range, small viscosity, excellent low-temperature solubility, and high resistivity and voltage holding ratio, and is stable against heat and light, and to provide a liquid crystal composition having an excellent lens effect and excellent chemical stability using the composition, and a liquid crystal display device and a liquid crystal lens that use the liquid crystal composition. The present invention provides a liquid crystal composition that contains one or two or more compounds represented by general formula (i) and one or two or more compounds represented by general formula (ii), a liquid crystal display device using the liquid crystal composition, a liquid crystal lens using the liquid crystal composition, and a birefringence lens for stereoscopic image display using the liquid crystal composition.