The present invention relates to a liquid-crystal (LC) medium comprising one or more polymerisable compounds and to the use of the LC medium for optical, electro-optical and electronic purposes, in particular in LC displays, especially in LC displays of the polymer sustained alignment (PS, PSA) or self-aligning (SA) type.

The invention is to provide a liquid crystal composition satisfying at least one of characteristics such as a high maximum temperature of a nematic phase, a low minimum temperature of the nematic phase, a small viscosity, a suitable optical anisotropy, a large negative dielectric anisotropy, a large specific resistance, a high stability to ultraviolet light and a high stability to heat, or having a suitable balance regarding at least two of the characteristics; and is to provide an AM device having a short response time, a large voltage holding ratio, a large contrast ratio, a long service life and so forth; wherein the liquid crystal composition includes a specific compound having a large negative dielectric anisotropy and a low minimum temperature as a first component, a specific compound having a small viscosity or a large maximum temperature as a second component and a specific compound having a polymerizable group as a third component, and a liquid crystal display device contains the composition.

The present invention relates to polymerisable compounds, to processes and intermediates for the preparation thereof, to liquid-crystal (LC) media comprising them, and to the use of the polymerisable compounds and LC media for optical, electro-optical and electronic purposes, in particular in LC displays, especially in LC displays of the polymer sustained alignment (PS, PSA) and self-aligning (SA) type.

Disclosed are a liquid crystal (LC) composition and a high-frequency component including the same. The LC composition includes one or more selected from compounds shown in structural formula (I) and one or more selected from compounds shown in structural formula (II):

##STR00001## where R.sub.1 is selected from alkyl with 1 to 10 carbon atoms, alkenyl with 2 to 10 carbon atoms, fluorinated alkyl, fluorinated alkenyl, and cycloalkyl; one of X.sub.1, X.sub.2, and X.sub.3 is methyl or chlorine, and the other two are hydrogen; k, m, n, and p are 0 or 1; and ring A is selected from a benzene ring, cyclohexane, and cyclohexene;

##STR00002##

where R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 each are selected from alkyl with 1 to 10 carbon atoms, alkenyl with 2 to 10 carbon atoms, fluorinated alkyl, fluorinated alkenyl, cycloalkyl, halogen, and NCS; and ring A and ring B each are selected from a benzene ring, cyclohexane, and cyclohexene.

The present invention relates to a liquid-crystal medium which comprises one or more compounds each of formulae I and II ##STR00001##
in which the occurring groups and parameters have the meanings given in claim 1.

The present invention relates to azo dye of formula I ##STR00001##
defined in claim 1, to a liquid crystalline medium comprising said azo dye, the use of said medium for optical, electrooptical 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 further relates to a device containing the liquid crystalline medium according to the invention.

The present invention relates to azo dye of formula I

##STR00001##

defined in claim 1, to a liquid crystalline medium comprising said azo dye, the use of said medium for optical, electrooptical 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 further relates to a device containing the liquid crystalline medium according to the invention.

The present invention relates to compositions comprising a combination of benzothiadiazole and thiadiazoloquinoxaline derivatives, to liquid-crystalline media containing the compositions, and to the use of the compositions and the media in optical, electronic and electro-optical devices, in particular in devices for regulating the passage of energy from an outside space into an inside space, for example in switchable windows.

The present invention relates to dibenzofuans and dibenzothiophenes thiophenes of formula I ##STR00001##
in which the occurring groups and parameters have the meanings as indicated in claim 1, to liquid-crystalline media comprising same and to high-frequency components comprising these media, especially microwave components for high-frequency devices, such as devices for shifting the phase of microwaves, in particular for microwave phased-array antennas.

A LC lens and a liquid-crystal medium used in said LC lens, wherein the medium contains one or more compounds of each of formulae I and II ##STR00001##