Mesogen-containing compounds

A mesogen-containing compound represented by one of the following structures:

• wherein,
• a) each X is independently:
• i) a group R,
• ii) a group represented by -(L)y-R,
• iii) a group represented by -(L)-R,
• iv) a group represented by
• or
• v) a group represented by -(L)y-P;
• b) each P is a independently chosen from hydrogen, aryl, alkyl, alkoxy, alkylalkoxy, alkoxyalkoxy, polyalkylether, (C1-C6)alkyl (C1-C6)-alkoxy (C1-C6)alkyl, polyethyleneoxy and polypropyleneoxy;
• c) each L is independently chosen for each occurrence, the same or different, from a single bond, a polysubstituted, monosubstituted, unsubstituted or branched spacer independently chosen from arylene, (C1-C30)alkylene, (C1-C30)alkylenecarbonyloxy, (C1-C30)alkyleneamino, (C1-C30)alkyleneoxy, (C1-C30)perfluoroalkylene, (C1-C30)perfluoroalkyleneoxy, (C1-C30)alkylenesilyl, (C1-C30)dialkylenesiloxyl, (C1-C30)alkylenecarbonyl, (C1-C30)alkyleneoxycarbonyl, (C1-C30)alkylenecarbonylamino, (C1-C30)alkyleneaminocarbonyl, (C1-C30)alkyleneaminocarbonyloxy, (C1-C30)alkyleneaminocarbonylamino, (C1-C30)alkyleneurea, (C1-C30)alkylenethiocarbonylamino, (C1-C30)alkyleneaminocarbonylthio, (C2-C30)alkenylene, (C1-C30)thioalkylene, (C1-C30)alkylenesulfone, or (C1-C30)alkylenesulfoxide, wherein each substituent is independently chosen from (C1-C5)alkyl, (C1-C5)alkoxy, fluoro, chloro, bromo, cyano, (C1-C5)alkanoate ester, isocyanato, thiolsocyanato, or phenyl;
• d) the group R is selected from hydrogen, C1-C18 alkyl, C1-C18 alkoxy, C1-C18 alkoxycarbonyl, C3-C10cycloalkyl, C3-C10cycloalkoxy, poly(C1-C18 alkoxy), or a straight-chain or branched C1-C18 alkyl group that is unsubstituted or substituted with cyano, fluoro, chloro, bromo, or C1-C18 alkoxy, or poly-substituted with fluoro, chloro, or bromo;
• and
• e) the groups Mesogen-1 and Mesogen-2 are each independently a rigid straight rod-like liquid crystal group, a rigid bent rod-like liquid crystal group, or a rigid disc-like liquid crystal group;
• wherein w is an integer from 1 to 26, y is an integer from 2 to 25, z is 1 or 2, provided that when:
• (i) the group X is represented by R, then w is an integer from 2 to 25, and z is 1;
• (ii) the group X is represented by -(L)y-R, then w is 1, y is an integer from 2 to 25, and z is 1;
• (iii) the group X is represented by -(L)w-R, then w is an integer from 3 to 26, and z is 2;
• (iv) the group X is represented by
• then w is 1, y is an integer from 2 to 25, with the proviso that -(L)y- comprises at least two groups L that are different from a single bond and z is 1;
• (v) the group X is represented by -(L)y-P, then w is 1, y is an integer from 2 to 25, and z is 1 and -(L)y- comprises a linear sequence of at least 25 bonds between the mesogen and P;
• and in -(L)y- and -(L)w- no two arylene groups are linked by a single bond.