Disubstituted ethanes and their use in liquid crystal materials and devices

Abstract

A fluorinated compound having a formula: ##STR1## R.sub.1 is hydrogen or alkyl having up to 12 carbon atoms; R.sub.2 is selected from hydrogen, alkyl having up to 12 carbon atoms, alkoxy having up to 12 carbon atoms, ##STR2## wherein R.sub.3 is hydrogen or alkyl having up to 12 carbon atoms, and wherein R.sub.4 is hydrogen, alkyl having up to 12 carbon atoms or alkoxy having up to 12 carbon atoms; ##STR3## represents a cyclohexane ring which is in the trans configuration if 1, 4-disubstituted; ##STR4## represents a benzene ring; each of X, Y and Z independently represents hydrogen or fluorine in one or more of the lateral benzene ring positions, provided that at least one of X, Y and Z is present representing fluorine; n=0 or 1 provided that when n=0 ##STR5## and R.sub.1 is alkyl; with the proviso that in Formula I when n is 1 and ##STR6## where R.sub.1 is n-alkyl and R.sub.2 is n-alkyl or n-alkoxy the total number of carbon plus oxygen atoms in the two groups R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 is less than 10.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.