Electrooptical display element

A TFT-addressed electrooptical LC display element containing a dielectric with a positive dielectric anisotropy and being based on a TN cell having a short switch-on time T.sub.on when the voltage is switched from a first voltage below or approximately at the threshold voltage to a second voltage on the increase of the electrooptical characteristic line, said dielectric consisting essentially of at least one component of formula I

• R.sup.1 --A.sup.1 --Z.sup.1 --A--O--R.sup.2
• wherein
• R.sup.1 and R.sup.2, independently of one another, are each alkyl having 1 to 9 C atoms, in which, in addition, one or two CH.sub.2 groups may be replaced by --CH.dbd.CH--, or one of the two groups R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 is H, and R.sub.2 may be C.sub.1-5 -straight chain alkanoyl,
• Z.sup.1 is --CH.sub.2 --O--, --OCH.sub.2, --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 -- or a single bond,
• A.sup.1 is trans-1,4-cyclohexylene in which, in addition, one or two nonadjacent CH.sub.2 groups may be replaced by O and/or S, or 1,4-cyclohexenylene, and
• A is unsubstituted or fluorine-substituted 1,4-phenylene,
• at least one component of formula II
• R.sup.3 --A.sup.2 --Z.sup.2 --A.sup.3 --Z.sup.3 --A'--R.sup.4II
• wherein
• R.sub.3 is H or alkyl having 1 to 9 C atoms, in which, in addition, one or two nonadjacent CH.sub.2 groups may be replaced by --O--, --CO--, --O--CO--, --CO--O-- and/or --CH.dbd.CH--,
• R.sup.4 is H, alkyl having 1 to 9 C atoms in which, in addition, one or two nonadjacent CH.sub.2 groups may be replaced by --O--, --CO--, --O--CO--, --CO--O-- and/or --CH.dbd.CH--, halogen, NCS or N.sub.3,
• Z.sup.2 and Z.sup.3 are each --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 --, --OCH.sub.2 --, --CH.sub.2 O--, --O--CO--, --CO--O--, or a single bond,
• A.sup.2 and A.sup.3 are each trans-1,4-cyclohexylene in which, in addition, one or two nonadjacent CH.sub.2 groups may be replaced by O and/or S,
• optionally a component of formula IV
• R.sup.3 --A.sup.2 --Z.sup.2 --A.sup.3 --(Z.sup.4 --A.sup.4).sub.m --Z.sup.3 --A'--(Z.sup.5 --A.sup.5).sub.n --R.sup.4 IV
• wherein
• Z.sup.4 and Z.sup.5 are each --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 --, --OCH.sub.2 --, --CH.sub.2 O--, --O--CO--, --CO--O-- or a single bond,
• A.sup.4 and A.sup.5 are each trans-1,4-cyclohexylene or unsubstituted or fluorine-substituted 1,4-phenylene in which, in addition, one or two CH groups may be replaced by N,
• m and n are each 0 or 1 and (m+n) is 1,
• A' is unsubstituted or fluorine-substituted 1,4-phenylene in which, in addition, one or two CH groups may be replaced by N,
• and R.sup.3, R.sup.4, A.sup.2, A.sup.3, Z.sup.2 and Z.sup.3 have the meaning given above.