Abstract: Chiral nonracemic molecules which are useful as high tilt, high polarization and/or high birefringence FLC materials or are useful as components of such FLC materials and which have the following general structure are provided:RO--(Ph.sub.1).sub.m --(A).sub.a --(Ph.sub.2).sub.n --(B).sub.b --(Ph.sub.3).sub.p --Twhere Ph.sub.1, Ph.sub.2 and Ph.sub.

Abstract: Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals (FLCs) which exhibit a ferroelectric phase and a chiral nematic phase at temperatures above the ferroelectric phase are provided. The natural helix pitch of the FLC in the ferroelectric phase of these materials is sufficiently tighter than the thickness of the FLC layer such that it is not surface-stabilized. The chiral nematic phase has a natural helix pitch sufficiently greater than the cell thickness to facilitate alignment of the FLC in an FLC device to achieve high contrast. The FLCs of this invention are useful in making fast response, high contrast FLC electro-optic devices in which the FLC retains a helical director structure stable to unwinding.

Abstract: High birefringence liquid crystal dopants having the formula:R.sub.1 X--C--.tbd.--D--Twherein C and D, independently of one another, are aromatic ring systems each of which has one or two 5-member or 6-member carbon rings wherein one or two carbons of any ring in C or D can be substituted with a nitrogen, oxygen or sulfur atom and wherein any ring in C or D can be substituted with one or two halogen atoms; T is a halogen, haloalkyl, haloalkoxy, vinylhalide or a group YR.sub.2 where Y is a single bond, double bond, triple bond, --COS--, --CS.sub.2 --, --CH.dbd.CH--CO--S--, --CH.dbd.CH--CS--S-- or --CH.dbd.CH--CO--O-- group; X is a single bond, double bond, triple bond, O or S atoms or a cyclohexane or cyclohexene group, Z--Q--W, where Q is a cyclohexane or cyclohexene ring in which one or two of the ring carbons can be replaced with an O atom or in which one or more of the ring carbons can be substituted with a halogen atom or a cyano group, Z is a single bond or an O or S atom and W is a single bond, a --CH.

Abstract: Fast response, high contrast Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal (FLC) electro-optic devices in which the FLC retains a helical director structure stable to unwinding are provided. In particular, high contrast distorted helix FLC electro-optic devices including half-wave plates in the visible wavelength region are provided. The FLC cells of this invention incorporate chiral FLCs which exhibit a ferroelectric phase and a chiral nematic phase at temperatures above the ferroelectric phase. The natural helix pitch of the FLC in the ferroelectric phase is sufficiently tighter than the thickness of the FLC layer such that it is not surface-stabilized. The chiral nematic phase has a natural helix pitch sufficiently greater than the cell thickness to facilitate alignment of the FLC in the device to achieve high contrast.

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.

Abstract: Chiral, nonracemic compounds of the general formula: ##STR1## in which the chiral tail group containing three asymmetric carbons (as indicated by *) is incorporated into a suitable FLC core moiety R--Ar.sub.2 are provided. The Ar.sub.2 core can include phenylbenzoate, biphenyl, phenylpyridine or phenylpyrimidine. R is an alkyl or alkoxy group having three to fifteen carbon atoms and R' is an alkyl group having from three to twelve carbon atoms. The compounds are useful as ferroelectric liquid crystal components having high polarization density. Compounds in which the chiral epoxide tail is the 1R-methyl-2S,3S-epoxy or 1S-methyl-2R,3R-epoxy enantiomer having higher polarization density.

Abstract: Chiral nonracemic molecules which are useful in the preparation of high polarization density FLC compositions and which have the following structure are provided: ##STR1## wherein Ph is a 1,4 substituted phenyl group, m=2 and n=1 or m=1 and n=2, asymmetric carbons are indicated by *. R is an alkyl group having three to fifteen carbon atoms, and R' is an alkyl group having one to seven carbons. The invention in particular provides compounds having the R,R or S,S configuration in the epoxide tail. The epoxy phenylbenzoates of this invention display a property of inducing a tilt angle greater than expected in FLC compositions in which they are combined.