Abstract: The subject is to provide a liquid crystal composition that satisfies at least one of characteristics such as a high maximum temperature of a nematic phase, a low minimum temperature of a nematic phase, a low viscosity, a suitable optical anisotropy, a negatively large dielectric anisotropy, a large specific resistance, a high stability to ultraviolet light and a high stability to heat, or that is suitably balanced regarding two or more characteristics. The subject is to provide an AM device that has a short response time, a high voltage holding ratio, a high contrast ratio, a long service life and so forth. The invention provides a liquid crystal composition having a negative dielectric anisotropy that contains a specific compound having a negatively large dielectric anisotropy as a first component, and a specific two-ring compound having a low viscosity as a second component, and provides a liquid crystal display device containing the composition.

Abstract: A liquid crystal composition is provided that satisfies at least one characteristic among the characteristics such as a high maximum temperature of a nematic phase, a low minimum temperature of a nematic phase, a small viscosity, a large optical anisotropy, a large dielectric anisotropy, a large specific resistance, a high stability to ultraviolet light and a high stability to heat, or is properly balanced regarding at least two characteristics. An AM device is provided that has a short response time, a large voltage holding ratio, a large contrast ratio, a long service life and so forth. The liquid crystal composition having a nematic phase contains a specific five-ring compound having a large maximum temperature as the first component, a specific compound having a small viscosity as the second component, and a specific four-ring compound having a high maximum temperature as the third component. The liquid crystal display device contains the liquid crystal composition.

Abstract: The invention provides a liquid crystal compound having general physical properties necessary for the compound, namely stability to heat, light and so forth, a wide temperature range of a liquid crystal phase, a high clearing point, a good compatibility with other compounds, a large optical anisotropy and a large dielectric anisotropy; a compound represented by formula (1): wherein, for example, R1 is alkyl having 1 to 20 carbons; ring A1 and ring A4 each are 1,4-cyclohexylene, 1,4-phenylene, or 1,4-phenylene in which arbitrary hydrogen is replaced by halogen; Z1 and Z4 each are a single bond; L1, L2, L3 and L4 each are hydrogen or fluorine; and X1 is fluorine, chlorine, —CF3 or —OCF3.

Abstract: The invention provides a liquid crystal compound having a high stability to heat, light or the like, a wide temperature range of a nematic phase, a small viscosity, a large optical anisotropy and a suitable elastic constant K33, and further having a suitable negative dielectric anisotropy and an excellent compatibility with other liquid crystal compounds. The invention also provides a liquid crystal composition including this liquid crystal compound and a liquid crystal display device containing this liquid crystal composition. A liquid crystal compound represented by formula (a): For example, Ra and Rb are alkyl having 1 to 10 carbons, alkenyl having 2 to 10 carbons or alkoxy having 1 to 9 carbons; the ring A1 and the ring A2 are 1,4-phenylene or trans-1,4-cyclohexylene; L1, L2, L3 and L4 are hydrogen or fluorine, and at least three of them are fluorine; and Z1 and Z2 are a single bond, —(CH2)2—, —CH?CH—, —CH2O— or —OCH2—.

Abstract: The subject is to provide a liquid crystal composition that satisfies at least one characteristic among characteristics such as a high maximum temperature of a nematic phase, a low minimum temperature of a nematic phase, a small viscosity, a suitable optical anisotropy, a negatively large dielectric anisotropy, a large specific resistance, a high stability to ultraviolet light and a high stability to heat, or that is suitably balanced regarding two or more characteristics. The other subject is to provide an AM device that has a short response time, a high voltage holding ratio, a high contrast ratio, a long service life and so forth.

Abstract: The invention provides a liquid crystal composition that satisfies at least one of characteristics such as a high maximum temperature of a nematic phase, a low minimum temperature of a nematic phase, a small viscosity, a large optical anisotropy, a large dielectric anisotropy, a large specific resistance, a high stability to ultraviolet light and a high stability to heat, or that is suitably balanced between at least two of the characteristics. The liquid crystal composition has a nematic phase, and includes a specific optically active compound as a first component and may optionally include a specific compound having a high maximum temperature or a small viscosity as a second component, and a specific compound having a large positive dielectric anisotropy as a third component, and the liquid crystal display device contains this composition.

Abstract: The invention is to provide a liquid crystal composition that satisfies at least one of characteristics such as a high maximum temperature of a nematic phase, a low minimum temperature of a nematic phase, a small viscosity, a suitable optical anisotropy, a large dielectric anisotropy, a large specific resistance, a large elastic constant, a high stability to ultraviolet light and a high stability to heat, or that is suitably balanced between at least two of the characteristics; and is to provide an AM device that has a short response time, a large voltage holding ratio, a large contrast ratio, a long service life and so forth.

Abstract: The invention provides a liquid crystal compound that has an excellent compatibility with other liquid crystal compounds and also has at least one of characteristics such as a high stability to heat, light or the like, a suitable refractive index anisotropy (?n), a low threshold voltage and a suitable dielectric anisotropy (??). A compound represented by formula (1). For example, R1 is alkyl having 1 to 10 carbons, R2 is halogen or alkenyl having 2 to 10 carbons; the ring A1, the ring A2 and the ring A3 are 1,4-cyclohexylene or 1,4-phenylene; Z1, Z2 and Z3 are a single bond or alkylene having 1 to 4 carbons; G is —CH2— or —O—; and m is 1, and n and p is 0 or 1.

Abstract: The invention provides a liquid crystal composition that satisfies at least one characteristic among the characteristics such as a high maximum temperature of a nematic phase, a low minimum temperature of a nematic phase, a low viscosity, a large optical anisotropy, a large dielectric anisotropy, a small pretilt angle, a large specific resistance, a high stability to ultraviolet light, and a high stability to heat, or provides a liquid crystal composition that is properly balanced regarding at least two characteristics. The invention provides an AM device that has a short response time, a large voltage holding ratio, a high contrast ratio, a long service life and so forth.

Abstract: The invention provides a liquid crystal compound that has a large negative dielectric anisotropy (??) and also has at least one of characteristics such as the stability to heat, light or the like, a high clearing point, a suitable refractive index anisotropy (?n), a large negative dielectric anisotropy (??) and an excellent compatibility with other liquid crystal compounds. An excellent effect in which especially the value of the dielectric anisotropy (??) is increased negatively is achieved by use of the compound having two moieties of 1) a tetrahydropyran ring and and thus the effect is utilized.

Abstract: A liquid crystal compound having general physical properties necessary for a liquid crystal compound, a high stability to heat, light or the like, a small viscosity, a suitable refractive index anisotropy, a suitable dielectric anisotropy and steep electro-optic characteristics, a wide temperature range of a nematic phase and an excellent compatibility with other liquid crystal compounds, and a liquid crystal compound especially having a wide temperature range of a nematic phase. A compound represented by formula (1). with, for example, R1 and R2 are alkyl having 1 to 10 carbons; A1 is 1,4-cyclohexylene; A2 is 2,3-difluoro-1,4-phenylene; X is fluorine or chlorine; Z1 and Z2 are a single bond; and p and q is 0 or 1.

Abstract: Provided is 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 large optical anisotropy, a large dielectric anisotropy, a large specific resistance, high stability to ultraviolet light and high stability to heat, or having a suitable balance regarding at least two of the characteristics. Provided is an AM device having a short response time, a large voltage holding ratio, a large contrast ratio, a long service life, etc. The liquid crystal composition having a nematic phase includes a specific three-ring or four-ring compound having a high maximum temperature and a large dielectric anisotropy as a first component, and a specific compound having a small viscosity or a high maximum temperature of the nematic phase as a second component, and a liquid crystal display device contains the composition.

Abstract: The invention is to provide a liquid crystal composition that satisfies at least one of characteristics such as a high maximum temperature of a nematic phase, a low minimum temperature of a 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 that is suitably balanced regarding at least two of the characteristics, wherein the liquid crystal composition has negative dielectric anisotropy and includes a specific compound having a large negative dielectric anisotropy as a first component, a specific compound containing a pyran ring and having a large negative dielectric anisotropy as a second component, a specific compound having a small viscosity as a third component, and a specific compound having a large negative dielectric anisotropy as a fourth component, and the liquid crystal display device contains this composition.

Abstract: The invention provides a liquid crystal composition that satisfies at least one characteristic among the characteristics such as a high maximum temperature of a nematic phase, a low minimum temperature of a nematic phase, a small viscosity, a large optical anisotropy, a large dielectric anisotropy, a large specific resistance, a high stability to ultraviolet light, and a high stability to heat, or provides a liquid crystal composition that is properly balanced regarding at least two characteristics. The invention provides an AM device that has a short response time, a large voltage holding ratio, a large contrast ratio, a long service life and so forth. A liquid crystal display device contains the liquid crystal composition having a nematic phase that includes two components, wherein the first component is a specific compound having a large optical anisotropy and a large dielectric anisotropy and the second component is a specific compound having a small viscosity or a large maximum temperature.

Abstract: Subject The subject is to provide a liquid crystal composition that satisfies at least one of characteristics such as a high maximum temperature of a nematic phase, a low minimum temperature of a nematic phase, a small viscosity, a suitable optical anisotropy, a large dielectric anisotropy, a large elastic constant ratio, a small temperature dependence of the threshold voltage, a small frequency dependence of the dielectric anisotropy and a short helical pitch, or that is suitably balanced regarding at least two of the characteristics. The subject is to provide a STN device that has a short response time, a large contrast ratio, a low threshold voltage, a small electric power consumption, a steep voltage-transmission curve and a small light leak.

Abstract: Described is a liquid crystal composition which satisfies at least one of such characteristics as high upper limit temperature of the nematic phase, low lower limit temperature of the nematic phase, low viscosity, adequate optical anisotropy, large negative dielectric anisotropy, high resistivity, high stability to ultraviolet light and high stability to heat, or which has an adequate balance between at least two of the above-mentioned characteristics. Also described is an AM element having a short response time, high voltage holding ratio, high contrast ratio, long life and the like. The liquid crystal composition contains a specific compound having a large negative dielectric anisotropy and a low lower limit temperature as a first component, a specific compound having a low viscosity or a high upper limit temperature as a second component, and a specific compound having a polymerizable group as a third component. The AM element contains the composition.

Abstract: The invention provides a liquid crystal compound having a suitable value of refractive index anisotropy, a suitable value of dielectric anisotropy, steep characteristics electro-optic characteristics, a wide temperature range of a nematic phase and an excellent compatibility with other liquid crystal compounds, and a liquid crystal compounds especially having a wide temperature range of a nematic phase. A compound represented by formula (1). For example, R1 and R2 are each independently alkyl having 1 to 9 carbons or alkenyl having 2 to 9 carbons, alkoxy having 1 to 8 carbons or alkenyloxy having 2 to 8 carbons; Q1 and Q4 are each independently fluorine or chlorine; Q2 and Q3 are each independently hydrogen, fluorine or chlorine, and one of Q2 and Q3 is hydrogen; Z is —CH2O— or —COO—; and h is 1 or 2.

Abstract: A cholesteric liquid crystal composition containing at least one esterified product selected from the group consisting of (1) an esterified product of a hydrolysate of (A) a ?-oryzanol and (B1) a carboxylic acid compound, (2) an esterified product of a hydrogenated product of a hydrolysate of (A) a ?-oryzanol and (B2) a carboxylic acid compound, and (3) an esterified product of a hydrogenated product of (A) a ?-oryzanol and (B3) a carboxylic acid compound. The ?-oryzanol (A) is a mixture containing at least one ferulate ester of a vegetable sterol and at least one ferulate ester of a triterpene alcohol, and the hydrolysate of the ?-oryzanol (A) is a mixture containing at least one vegetable sterol and at least one triterpene alcohol.

Abstract: A polymerizable cholesteric liquid crystal composition in the invention includes at least one compound selected from the group consisting of a polymerizable ester compound (1) having a residue of a hydrolysate of ?-oryzanol (A) and having a ring structure, a polymerizable ester compound (2) having a residue of a hydrolysate of ?-oryzanol (A) and having no ring structures, and a polymerizable ester compound (3) having a residue of a hydrogenated product of ?-oryzanol.

Abstract: The invention is to provide a liquid crystal composition that satisfies at least one of characteristics such as a high maximum temperature of a nematic phase, a low minimum temperature of a nematic phase, a small viscosity, a suitable optical anisotropy, a large dielectric anisotropy, a large specific resistance, a large elastic constant, a high stability to ultraviolet light and a high stability to heat, or that is suitably balanced regarding at least two of the characteristics; and is to provide an AM device that has a short response time, a large voltage holding ratio, a large contrast ratio, a long service life and so forth. The invention provides a liquid crystal composition that has a nematic phase and includes a specific three-ring compound having a large dielectric anisotropy as a first component and a specific four-ring compound having a high maximum temperature and a large dielectric anisotropy as a second component, and a liquid crystal display device containing the composition.