Trans-olefin compounds, method for production thereof, liquid crystal composition containing the same as active ingredient, and liquid crystal element using said composition

A liquid crystal composition containing at least one transolefin compound represented by general formula (1):

• ##STR765## wherein n is an integer of 0-10;
• m, r, s and t each represents 0 or 1;
• Z is hydrogen atom or fluorine atom;
• R.sup.1 is hydrogen, saturated or unsaturated alkyl group having 1-20 carbon atoms, or saturated or unsaturated alkoxyalkyl group having 2-20 carbon atoms, provided that when m=1, R.sup.1 may also be a protecting group as hereinafter defined and when r=0, s=0 and t=0, R.sup.1 cannot be an unsaturated alkyl group;
• R.sup.2 is hydrogen atom, saturated or unsaturated alkyl group having 1-20 carbon atoms optionally substituted by halogen atom, or saturated or unsaturated alkoxyalkyl group having 2-20 carbon atoms optionally substituted by halogen atom, provided that when s=1 and t=0, R.sup.2 may also be a protecting group as hereinafter defined, wherein the protecting group of R.sup.1 and R.sup.2, which may be the same or different, is selected from the group consisting of aliphatic acyl group which may optionally be substituted by halogen atom or by alkoxy group;
• benzoyl group which may optionally be substituted by halogen atom, or by alkyl group, or by alkoxy group, or by nitro group, or by cyano group;
• benzyl group which may optionally be substituted by halogen atom, or by alkyl group, or by alkoxy group, or by nitro group, or by cyano group;
• trialkylsilyl group, dialkylphenylsilyl group, alkyldiphenylsilyl group, triphenylsilyl group, aralkyldialkylsilyl group, diaralkylalkylsilyl group and triaralkylsilyl group, provided that the phenyl and aralkyl groups in the above-mentioned groups may optionally be substituted by halogen atom, alkyl group, alkoxy group;
• and tetrahydropyranyl group, tetrahydrofuranyl group and 1-(alkoxy)-alkyl groups, which may optionally be substituted by halogen atom or alkoxy group;
• A.sup.1, A.sup.2, and A.sup.3 each represents one of the following groups:
• ##STR766## in which i is an integer of 0-4;
• j and k are each an integer of 0-3;
• and p and q are 0 or 1, provided that when A.sup.1 is a fused ring, p+q=0 or 1 and A.sup.2 and A.sup.3 are single rings, and when A.sup.1 is a single ring, p+q=1 or 2, provided that when p+q=2, A.sup.2 and A.sup.3 are both single rings provided that at least one of A.sup.1, A.sup.2 and A.sup.3 is a group of ##STR767## wherein i is an integer of 1-4, or a group of ##STR768## wherein J is an integer of 1-3 or k is an integer of 1-3, and at least one trans-olefin compound represented by the general formula (1'):
• ##STR769## wherein n is an integer of 0-10;
• m, r, s and t each represent 0 or 1;
• Z is hydrogen atom or fluorine atom;
• R.sup.1 is hydrogen, saturated or unsaturated alkyl group having 1-20 carbon atoms, or saturated or unsaturated alkoxyalkyl group having 2-20 carbon atoms, provided that when m=1, R.sup.1 may also be a protecting group as hereinafter defined and when r=0, s=0 and t=0, R.sup.1 cannot be unsaturated alkyl group;
• R.sup.2 is hydrogen atom, saturated or unsaturated alkyl group having 1-20 carbon atoms optionally substituted by halogen atom, or saturated or unsaturated alkoxyalkyl group having 2-20 carbon atoms optionally substituted by halogen atom, provided that when s=1 and t=0, R.sup.2 may also be a protecting group as hereinafter defined, wherein the protecting group of R.sup.1 and R.sup.2, which may be the same or different, is selected from the group consisting of aliphatic acyl group which may optionally be substituted by halogen atom or by alkoxy group;
• benzoyl group which may optionally be substituted by halogen atom, or by alkyl group, or by alkoxy group, or by nitro group, or by cyano group;
• benzyl group which may optionally be substituted by halogen atom, or by alkyl group, or by alkoxy group, or by nitro group, or by cyano group;
• trialkylsilyl group, dialkylphenylsilyl group, alkyldiphenylsilyl group, triphenylsilyl group, aralkyldialkylsilyl group, diaralkylalkylsilyl group and triaralkylsilyl group, provided that the phenyl and aralkyl groups in the above-mentioned groups may optionally be substituted by halogen atom, alkyl group, alkoxy group;
• and tetrahydropyranyl group, tetrahydrofuranyl group and 1-(alkoxy)-alkyl groups, which may optionally be substituted by halogen atom or alkoxy group;
• A.sup.1, A.sup.2 and A.sup.3 each represents one of the following groups:
• ##STR770## in which i, j and k each represents 0;
• and p and q are 0 or 1, provided that when A.sup.1 is a fused ring, p+q=0 or 1 and A.sup.2 and A.sup.3 are single rings, and when A.sup.1 is a single ring, p+q=1 or 2, provided that when p+q=2, A.sup.2 and A.sup.3 are both single rings wherein the rings A.sup.1, A.sup.2 and A.sup.3 have no fluorine atom.