# US 5,710,433 A · Liquid crystal composition, liquid crystal device and liquid crystal apparatus

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- Number: US 5,710,433 A
- Document ID: US5710433A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/592,573
- Filed: 1996-01-26
- Granted: 1998-01-20
- Earliest claimed: 1995-01-31
- Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Masataka Yamashita; Masahiro Terada; Shosei Mori; Syuji Yamada; Hiroshi Mizuno; Ikuo Nakazawa; Koji Noguchi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5710433A

## CPC

- C09K 19/46: containing esters
- C09K 19/34: containing at least one heterocyclic ring
- C09K 2323/00: Functional layers of liquid crystal optical display excluding electroactive liquid crystal layer characterised by chemical composition
- C09K: MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE

## Abstract

A liquid crystal composition contains a mesomorphic compound represented by the following formula (A): ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 independently denote a linear or branched alkyl group having 1-18 carbon atoms; X.sub.1 and X.sub.2 independently denote a single bond, --O--, --CO--O-- or --O--CO--; and A.sub.1 denotes a single bond, ##STR2## or ##STR3## and A.sub.2 denotes ##STR4## or ##STR5## and a mesomorphic compound represented by the following formula (B): ##STR6## wherein R.sub.3 denotes a linear or branched alkyl group having 1-18 carbon atoms; X.sub.3 and X.sub.4 independently denote a single bond, --O--, --CO--O-- or --O--CO--; m is an integer of 3-16; and A.sub.3 denotes ##STR7## or ##STR8## The liquid crystal composition may preferably be formulated as a chiral smectic liquid crystal composition. The liquid crystal composition is useful in providing a liquid crystal device using the liquid crystal composition with a good alignment characteristic, a good drive characteristic, and a high and stable contrast ratio.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A liquid crystal composition, comprising:
a mesomorphic compound represented by the following formula (A): ##STR53## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 independently denote a linear or branched alkyl group having 1-18 carbon atoms; X.sub.1 and X.sub.2 independently denote a single bond, --O--, --CO--O-- or --O--CO--; and A.sub.1 denotes a single bond, ##STR54## or ##STR55## and A.sub.2 denotes ##STR56## or ##STR57## and a mesomorphic compound represented by the following formula (B): ##STR58## wherein R.sub.3 denotes a linear or branched alkyl group having 1-18 carbon atoms; X.sub.3 and X.sub.4 independently denote a single bond, --O--, --CO--O-- or --O--CO--; m is an integer of 3-16; and A.sub.3 denotes ##STR59## or ##STR60##

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A composition according to claim 1, which contains 0.1-30 wt. % of a mesomorphic compound of the formula (A) and 0.1-30 wt. % of a mesomorphic compound of the formula (B).

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A composition according to claim 1, which has chiral smectic C phase in which said liquid crystal composition shows a layer inclination angle .delta. of 3-15 degrees in a temperature range of 0.degree.-60.degree. C.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A composition according to claim 1, which contains at least one mesomorphic compound selected from mesomorphic compounds represented by the following formulae (1)-(5):
Formula (1) ##STR61## wherein p and q independently denote 0, 1 or 2 satisfying p+q=1 or 2; Y.sub.10 is hydrogen or fluorine; and R.sub.21 and R.sub.22 independently denote a linear or branched alkyl group having 1-18 carbon atoms capable of including at least one methylene group which can be replaced by --O--, --S--, --CO--, --CH.dbd.CH--, --C.tbd.C--, or --CHW-- where W is halogen, CN or CF.sub.3 provided that heteroatoms are not adjacent to each other;
Formula (2) ##STR62## wherein B.sub.1 is ##STR63## where Y.sub.1 is hydrogen or fluorine; Y.sub.0 is hydrogen or fluorine; R.sub.23 is a linear or branched alkyl group having 1-18 carbon atoms; R.sub.24 is hydrogen, halogen, CN, or a linear or branched alkyl group having 1-18 carbon atoms; and at least one methylene group in the alkyl group of R.sub.23 or R.sub.24 can be replaced by --O--, --S--, --CO--, --CH.dbd.CH--, --C.tbd.C--, or --CHW-- where W is halogen, CN or CF.sub.3 provided that heteroatoms are not adjacent to each other;
Formula (3) ##STR64## wherein B.sub.2 is ##STR65## and and R.sub.25 and R.sub.26 independently denote a linear or branched alkyl group having 1-18 carbon atoms capable of including at least one methylene group which can be replaced by --O--, --S--, --CO--, --CH.dbd.CH--, --C.tbd.C--, or --CHW-- where W is halogen, CN or CF.sub.3 provided that heteroatoms are not adjacent to each other; and
Formula (4) ##STR66## wherein B.sub.3 is ##STR67## and R.sub.27 and R.sub.28 independently denote a linear or branched alkyl group having 1-18 carbon atoms capable of including at least one methylene group which can be replaced by --O--, --S--, --CO--, --CH.dbd.CH--, --C.tbd.C--, or --CHW-- where W is halogen, CN or CF.sub.3 provided that heteroatoms are not adjacent to each other; and
Formula (5) ##STR68## wherein R.sub.29 and R.sub.30 independently denote a linear or branched alkyl group having 1-18 carbon atoms capable of including at least one methylene group which can be replaced by --O--, --S--, --CO--, --CH.dbd.CH--, --C.tbd.C--, or --CHW-- where W is halogen, CN or CF.sub.3 provided that heteroatoms are not adjacent to each other.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

A composition according to claim 4, wherein each component of said at least one mesomorphic compound is contained in the liquid crystal composition in an amount shown below:
(a) 20-75 wt. % for the mesomorphic compound of the formula (1),
(b) 5-25 wt. % for the mesomorphic compound of the formula (2),
(c) 5-30 wt. % for the mesomorphic compound of the formula (3),
(d) 0.1-30 wt. % for the mesomorphic compound of the formula (4), or
(e) 1-25 wt. % for the mesomorphic compound of the formula (5).

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

A composition according to claim 4, wherein:
said mesomorphic compound of the formula (1) includes at least one species of mesomorphic compounds of the formulae (1-1) to (1-7); said mesomorphic compound of the formula (2) includes at least one species of mesomorphic compounds of the formulae (2-1) to (2-5); said mesomorphic compound of the formula (3) includes at least one species of mesomorphic compounds of the formulae (3-1) to (3-9); and said mesomorphic compound of the formula (4) includes at least one species of mesomorphic compounds of the formulae (4-1) to (4-6), respectively shown below: ##STR69## wherein R.sub.21a, R.sub.22a, R.sub.26a, R.sub.28a independently denote a linear or branched alkyl group having 1-17 carbon atoms; and R.sub.22b and R.sub.26b independently denote a linear or branched alkyl group having 1-16 carbon atoms.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

A liquid crystal device, comprising: a pair of substrates each provided with an electrode, and a liquid crystal composition according to any one of claims 1-6.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

A device according to claim 7, which comprises an alignment control layer which is disposed on at least one of said pair of substrates and is provided with a uniaxial alignment axis.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

A device according to claim 8, wherein said alignment control layer provided with a uniaxial alignment axis is disposed on both of said pair of substrates and the respective uniaxial alignment axes intersect with each other at a prescribed crossing angle.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

A device according to claim 7, wherein said device provides a pretilt angle .alpha. and said liquid crystal composition is a chiral smectic liquid crystal composition placed in such an alignment state that the chiral smectic liquid crystal shows a cone angle H, a layer inclination angle .delta. in chiral smectic C phase, and an apparent tilt angle .theta.a satisfying the following relationships (I), (II) and (III) in combination with the pretilt angle .alpha.:
H<.alpha.+.delta., (I)
.delta.<.alpha., (II)
and
H>.theta.a>H/2. (III)

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

A device according to claim 9, wherein said crossing angle is at most 25 degrees.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

A device according to claim 10, wherein said pretilt angle is at least 5 degrees.

### Claim 13 (depends on 7)

A liquid crystal apparatus, including: a liquid crystal device according to claim 7.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

An apparatus according to claim 13, which includes a drive circuit for driving the liquid crystal device.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

An apparatus according to claim 13, which includes a light source.