Abstract: This invention provides a polymerizable liquid crystal compound having a large value of &Dgr;n/n, excellent in coating properties on an alignment film and easily aligned. Disclosed is a polymerizable liquid crystal compound having at least one polymerizable reactive group and showing nematic liquid crystal properties, having a &Dgr;n/n value of 0.14 or more wherein n is average refractive index and &Dgr;n is extraordinary light refractive index (ne) minus ordinary light refractive index (no), and being aligned by application onto an alignment film.

Abstract: This invention provides a polymerizable liquid crystal compound having a large value of An/n, excellent in coating properties on an alignment film and easily aligned. Disclosed is a polymerizable liquid crystal compound having at least one polymerizable reactive group and showing nematic liquid crystal properties, having a &Dgr;n/n value of 0.14 or more wherein n is average refractive index and &Dgr;n is extraordinary light refractive index (ne) minus ordinary light refractive index (no), and being aligned by application onto an alignment film.

Abstract: The invention has an object of safely and simply preparing a large amount of a ruthenium metathesis catalyst, which is used as a catalyst for a carbon-carbon bond formation using, particularly, a metathesis reaction. The metathesis catalyst has the following complex composition (A) or (B).

Abstract: The invention has an object of safely and simply preparing a large amount of a ruthenium metathesis catalyst, which is used as a catalyst for a carbon-carbon bond formation using, particularly, a metathesis reaction. The metathesis catalyst has the following complex composition (A) or (B).

Abstract: An optically active compound which itself generally exhibits no antiferroelectric liquid crystal phase, but which can be added to an antiferroelectric liquid crystal or composition thereof having a high threshold voltage to reduce the threshold voltage of the resulting composition. Also disclosed is an antiferroelectric liquid crystal composition containing the optically active compound, a process for reducing the threshold voltage of an antiferroelectric liquid crystal composition, a process for producing the optically active compound, and a process for producing an optically active carboxylic acid as an intermediate.

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel optically active compound which exhibits an antiferroelectric liquid crystal phase and has a low threshold voltage and a low viscosity, a novel optically active compound which doesn't exhibit an antiferroelectric liquid crystal phase but can be incorporated in an antiferroelectric liquid crystal having a high threshold voltage to reduce the threshold voltage thereof, an antiferroelectric liquid crystal composition containing the compound, and a process for the reduction of the threshold voltage of an antiferroelectric liquid crystal composition.

Abstract: A liquid crystal compound represented by formula (I) and a liquid crystal composition containing the same. The compound exhibits an antiferroelectric liquid crystal phase and has good compatibility with known liquid crystal compounds. ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 represents a straight-chain or branched alkyl, alkoxy, alkoxycarbonyl, alkanoyloxy or alkoxycarbonyloxy group having 4 to 16 carbon atoms; R.sup.2 represents a straight-chain alkyl group having 4 to 10 carbon atoms or a branched alkyl group containing 1 to 3 carbon atoms in its branch and 4 to 12 carbon atoms in total; X represents an oxygen or sulfur atom; rings A and B each represent an F-substituted or unsubstituted phenylene group, a cyclohexylene group or a divalent nitrogen-containing heterocyclic group, provided that either one of rings A and B is the nitrogen-containing heterocyclic group; ring C represents an F-substituted or unsubstituted phenylene group; and C* represents an asymmetric carbon atom.

Abstract: An antiferroelectric liquid crystal compound represented by the following general formula (I): ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 represents an alkyl group having 6 to 16 carbon atoms; R.sup.2 represents a straight chain alkyl group having 3 to 8 carbon atoms or a branched alkyl group having 4 to 10 carbon atoms; and * means an asymmetric carbon atom, and an antiferroelectric liquid crystal composition comprising at least one liquid crystal compound as defined above. The optically active compound of the present invention is highly miscible with a number of known antiferroelectric liquid crystal compounds and thus capable of providing liquid crystal materials having improved temperature properties. A liquid crystal composition containing the optically active compound of the present invention is applicable to electro-optical devices with the use of antiferroelectric liquid crystals.