Abstract: Provided are additive liquid crystalline compounds that, when added to one or more other components, form a mixture which can be supercooled. One class of additive liquid crystalline compounds are silyl-containing liquid crystalline compounds. Also provided are devices incorporating one or more silyl-containing liquid crystalline compounds described herein and optionally one or more other components. The invention also includes the method of using liquid crystalline mixtures containing silyl-containing liquid crystalline compounds to suppress the crystallization, in a liquid crystal cell, of these mixtures at temperatures below their crystallization point.

Abstract: Compounds that are useful as components in liquid crystal compositions, particularly in ferroelectric liquid crystal compositions. Compounds of the invention are rod-like molecules with a mesogenic (generally linear) core to which an alkene tail and an alkyl or alkoxy tail with a perfluoroalkyl terminal portion are bonded. Compounds of the invention can contain a variety of one, two or three ring cores, wherein the rings maybe aromatic or alicyclic. Alkenes of the invention are useful as components to improve LC properties of mixtures, for example, to lower melting point of lower freezing point, of LC compositions.

Abstract: Compounds that are useful as components in liquid crystal compositions, particularly in ferroelectric liquid crystal compositions. Compounds of the invention are rod-like molecules with a mesogenic (generally linear) core to which an alkene tail and an alkyl or alkoxy tail with a perfluoroalkyl terminal portion are bonded. Compounds of the invention can contain a variety of one, two or three ring cores, wherein the rings maybe aromatic or alicyclic. Alkenes of the invention are useful as components to improve LC properties of mixtures, for example, to lower melting point of lower freezing point, of LC compositions.

Abstract: The subject application discloses chiral nonracemic compositions of the general formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 is an achiral tail of two to sixteen carbons; Ar is an achiral FLC core of at least two rings; * denotes a chiral or potentially chiral carbon; Q and D are H or a methyl group, provided that q and D are not both methyl; X and Z are halides and Y is H or a halide; and R.sub.2 is one to ten carbon atoms. The --O--C*HQ--C*DX--C*HY-- segment comprises the chiral proximal segment of the chiral tail. Z can be an ortho halide alone, or ortho and meta halides on adjacent carbons on the aromatic ring of the core adjacent to the proximal segment. R.sub.2 is the distal segment of the chiral tail.

Abstract: The subject application discloses chiral nonracemic compositions of the general formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 is an achiral tail of two to sixteen carbons; Ar is an achiral FLC core of at least two rings; * denotes a chiral or potentially chiral carbon; Q is H or a methyl group; X and Z are halides and Y is H or a halide; and R.sub.2 is one to ten carbon atoms. The --O--C*HQ--C*HX--C*HY-- segment comprises the chiral proximal segment of the chiral tail. Z can be an ortho halide alone, or ortho and meta halides on adjacent carbons on the aromatic ring of the core adjacent to the proximal segment. R.sub.2 is the distal segment of the chiral tail.

Abstract: The subject application discloses chiral nonracemic compositions of the general formula:R.sub.1 --(Ar)--O--C*H(CH.sub.3)--C*HX--C*HY--R.sub.2wherein: R.sub.1 is an achiral tail of two to sixteen carbons; Ar is an achiral FLC core of at least two rings; * denotes a chiral or potentially chiral carbon; X is a halide and Y is H or a halide; R.sub.2 comprises the distal segment of the chiral tail and has one to ten carbon atoms; the --O--C*H(CH.sub.3)--C*HY--C*HY--CH.sub.2 --O-- segment comprises the chiral proximal segment of the chiral tail, and the proximal segment is selected from the diastereomers and enantiomers:1S-methyl-2S-halo1S-methyl-2R-halo1R-methyl-2R,3R-dihalo1R-methyl-2R,3S-dihalo1R-methyl-2S,3S-dihalo1R-methyl-2S,3R-dihalo1R-methyl-2R-halo1R-methyl-2S-halo1S-methyl-2S,3S-dihalo1S-methyl-2S,3R-dihalo1S-methyl-2R,3R-dihalo1S-methyl-2R,3S-dihalo.

Abstract: Ferroelectric (chiral) smectic liquid crystal compounds having an achiral core and chiral tail units derived from (2,3)-epoxyalkyloxiranemethanols possess a high ferroelectric polarization density. These newly made compounds exhibit high speed, multistate electro-optic switching properties which make them ideally suited to certain electro-optic display device applications.

Abstract: Ferroelectric (chiral) smectic liquid crystal compounds having an achiral core and chiral tail units derived from (2,3)-epoxyalkyloxiranemethanols possess a high ferroelectric polarization density. These newly made compounds exhibit high speed, multistate electro-optic switching properties which make them ideally suited to certain electro-optic display device applications.

Abstract: Ferroelectric (chiral) smectic liquid crystal compounds having an achiral core and chiral tail units derived from (2,3)-epoxyalkyloxiranemethanols possess a high ferroelectric polarization density. These newly made compounds exhibit high speed, multistate electro-optic switching properties which make then ideally suited to certain electro-optic display device applications.