Spontaneous alignment assistant for liquid crystal compositions

A compound represented by general formula (ii):

• wherein Zii1 represents a single bond, —COO—, —OCO—, —OCOO—, —OOCO—, —CH═CHCOO—, —OCOCH═CH—, —CH2—CH2COO—, —OCOCH2—CH2—, —CH═C(CH3)COO—, —OCOC(CH3)═CH—, —CH2—CH(CH3)COO—, —OCOCH(CH3)—CH2—, or an alkylene group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, wherein one or more —CH2-'s not adjacent to each other in the alkylene group may be replaced with in which at least one Zii1 represents a single bond;
• Aii1 represents 1,4-phenylene group or a 1,4-cyclohexyl group wherein a hydrogen atom in these ring structures may be replaced with a halogen atom, Pi1-Spi1- (Pi1 is described below and Spi1 represents an alkylene group having a carbon number of 1 to 18 or a single bond), or Ri1 (Ri1 representing a hydrogen atom, a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 40 carbon atoms, a halogenated alkyl group, or Pi1-Spi1-, wherein —CH2— in the alkyl group may be replaced with —CH═CH—, —C═C—, —O—, —NH—, —COO—, or —OCO—, provided that —O— moieties are not bonded in series), provided that 2, 3, 5 or 6 position of at least one Aii1 is substituted with Pi1-Spi1-,
• when a plurality of Zi1's or Ai1's are present, these may be the same or different,
• mii1 represents an integer of 2 to 4,
• Rii1 and Rii2 each independently represent, a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 40 carbon atoms, or a halogenated alkyl group, wherein —CH2— in the alkyl group may be replaced with —CH═CH—, —C═C—, —O—, —NH—, —COO—, or —OCO—, provided that —O-moieties are not bonded in series, at least one of Rii1 and Rii2 represents Ki1—Rk—, provided that when Ki1 is (K-11), at least one of Zii1 is one ofCH2CCOO—, —OCOCH2—CH2—, —CH2—CH(CH3)COO—, —OCOCH(CH3)—CH2—, and —OCH2CH2O—,
• Pi1 represents a substituent selected from the group consisting of substituents represented by general formula (P-1) to general formula (P-15) in which each black point on a right end represents atomic bonding,
• Ki1 represents a substituent represented by one of the general formulae (K-1), (K-9) and (K-10),
• wherein WK1 represents a methine group, C—CH3, C—C2H5, or a nitrogen atom,
• XK1 and YKI each independently represent an oxygen atom,
• ZK1 represents an oxygen atom,
• each black point on the left end in the general formula (K-1), general formula (K-9) and general formula (K-10) represents atomic bonding,
• Ki1—Rk— represents —CH2—O—Ki1, —(CH2)2—O—CH2—Ki1, —O—CH2—Ki1, —O— (CH2)2—Ki1, —O— (CH2)3—Ki1, —O— (CH2)2—O—Ki1, —O— (CH2)2—O—CH2—Ki1, —O— (CH2)7O—CH2—Ki1, —O— (CH2)9—O—CH2—Ki1, or —O— (CH2)8—O— (CH2)2—Ki1.