Chlorobenzene derivatives, liquid-crystal composition, and liquid-crystal display elements

A chlorobenzene derivative expressed by the general formula (1)

• Ra—A1—Z—A2[Parenopenst]Z2—A3[Parenclosest]m[Parenopenst]Z3—A4[Parenclosest]nRb (1)
• wherein Ra represents a straight chain or branched alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms in which group any methylene group (—CH2) may be replaced by —O—, —CO—, —CH═CH—, —C≡C—, —SiH2—, or cyclobutane-1,3-diyl, but in no case continues —O—, and in no case continue —O— and —CO—, and one or more hydrogen atoms in the Ra may be replaced by a halogen atom;
• Rb represents a group selected from the Ra, or a halogen atom;
• A1, A2, A3, and A4 independently represent trans-1,4-cyclohexylene or 1,4-phenylene in which ring any —CH2— may be replaced by —O—, >CH— may be replaced by >SiH—, and —CH═ may be represented by —N═, respectively, and one or two hydrogen atoms on the 1,4-phenylene may be replaced by a chlorine atom and/or fluorine atom provided that at least two rings among A1, A2, A3 and A4 are 1,4-phenylenes, and at least three hydrogen atoms among all hydrogen atoms on the 1,4-phenylenes are replaced by one chlorine atom and at least two fluorine atoms;
• Z1, Z2 and Z3 independently represent single bond or an alkylene group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms in which group one or more hydrogen atoms may be replaced by a halogen atom, any methylene group (—CH2—) in the alkylene group may be replaced by —O—, —CO—, —CH═CH—, —C≡C—, or —SiH2— but in no case continues —O—, and in no case continue —O— and —CO—;
• and m is 1, and n is 0 or 1.