Abstract: The present invention provides organogermanium compounds and liquid crystal compositions comprising such a compound.

Abstract: Liquid crystal materials that exhibit bookshelf structures are provided. When these bookshelf materials are incorporated into a bistable host material, the mixture exhibits a higher switching angle and increased A to C phase transition than bistable hosts without the bookshelf material. These bookshelf materials and bistable compositions are useful in liquid crystal displays, for example.

Abstract: A liquid crystal composition comprising a host material and a low birefringence liquid crystal composition of the formula: R1—Ar—R2 wherein R1 and R2, independently of one another, are selected from the group consisting of internally branched alkyl groups having from 4 to 20 carbon atoms, terminally branched alkyl groups having from 3 to 20 carbon atoms, internally branched alkenyl groups having from 3 to 20 carbon atoms and terminally branched alkenyl groups having from 4 to 20 carbon atoms, wherein one or more —CH2— groups in R1 and R2 may be independently replaced with O, said R1 or R2, independently of one another, can be partially or fully halogenated, and wherein one or both of said R1 and R2 can be absent; Ar is a ring core moiety of the general formula: wherein Cyc is a cyclohexyl ring or a cyclohexenyl ring; RX is a phenyl ring which may be optionally substituted with one or more fluorines; RY is a cyclohexyl or cyclohexenyl ring; wherein x and y are 1

Abstract: This invention provides chiral nonracemic compounds of general formula I which are useful as components of FLC compositions in SSFLC and DHFLC devices: ##STR1## wherein Z is a C.dbd.O group or a CH.sub.2 group, R.sub.F is a partially or fully fluorinated alkyl or alkenyl group, R.sub.2 is selected from an alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl group in which one or more CH.sub.2 groups can optionally be substituted with one or two halogen atoms or in which one or more non-neighboring CH.sub.2 can be replaced with an O, S or an alkyl silyl group, S.sub.1 (R.sub.A)(R.sub.B), in which R.sub.A and R.sub.B, independently of one another, are small alkyl or alkenyl groups having from one to six carbon atoms, * indicates the chiral carbon and where Ar can be a one, two, or three aromatic ring LC core moieties. In particular, the core can have one to three, aromatic rings which are optionally linked by linking groups including O, S, CH.sub.2 S, SCH.sub.2, CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2, CH.sub.2 O, OCH.sub.2, CH.sub.2 CO.sub.2, CH.sub.

Abstract: The present invention provides liquid crystals that are diphenyldiacetylenes of the general formulas: ##STR1## where W, X, Y and Z are, independently of one another, a halogen atom, a hydrogen atom or a trihalomethyl group, T.sub.1 and T.sub.2, independently of one another can be an alkyl, alkene, alkoxy, alkenoxy, ether, thioalkyl, thioalkenyl, haloalkyl, haloalkoxy or haloalkylether groups having from three to twenty carbon atoms or a silylalkyl, silylalkenyl, silylalkoxy or silylthioalkyl group having from three to twenty-eight carbon atoms and wherein M.sub.1 and M.sub.2 can both be single bonds or one of M.sub.1 or M.sub.2 can be a trans-1,4-cyclohexylene or a --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 -trans-1,4-cyclohexylene.

Abstract: This invention provides chiral nonracemic compounds of formula ##STR1## wherein * indicates a chiral carbon, R.sub.1 and R.sub.2, independently of one another, can be an alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl group wherein one or more non-neighboring CH.sub.2 groups can be replaced with an O, S or a silyl group (R.sub.A SiR.sub.B) wherein R.sub.A and R.sub.B, independently of one another, are alkyl or alkenyl having from one to six carbon atoms; R.sub.1 having from about 3 to 20 carbon atoms, and R.sub.2 having from 1 to about 18 carbon atoms; X is O, S, CO, COO, OCO, COS or a single bond where Ar is a liquid crystal core moiety having two or three aromatic rings of the formula--(Cyc).sub.n --(A).sub.a --Ph.sub.1 --(B).sub.b --Ph.sub.2 --(C).sub.c --(Ph.sub.3).sub.m --whereinPh.sub.1, Ph.sub.2 and Ph.sub.

Abstract: Ferroelectric liquid crystal compounds and compositions containing cyclohexenyl derivatives are provided. Specifically provided are compounds of formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 can be an alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, thioalkyl, alkylsilyl group having from one to about twenty carbon atoms. Y denotes --COO--, --OOC--, --CH.sub.2 O--, or --OCH.sub.2 --; and Ar.sub.1 and Ar.sub.2, independently of one another, can be selected from the group consisting of phenyl rings, halogenated phenyl rings and nitrogen-containing aromatic groups. In preferred embodiments the compounds of this invention contain at least one nitrogen-containing aromatic ring. Ar.sub.1 and Ar.sub.2 can be selected from 1,4-phenyl, mono- or dihalogenated 1,4-phenyl, 2,5-pyridinyl, 2,5-pyrimidyl, 2,5-pyrazinyl, 2,5-thiadiazole, 3,6-pyridazinyl and 1,4-cyclohexyl either or both be chiral racemic groups or chiral nonracemic groups.