Direactive mesogenic compounds and intermediates

A direactive compound of the formula:

• R1—(CH2)mO—MG—O—(CH2)n—R2
• in which R1 and R2 are each independently
• —CH2—O—(CO)a—CW═CH2 or
• a is 0 or 1;
• W is H, CH3, or Cl;
• m and n are different integers from 2 to 10, and
• MG is a mesogenic group of formula VIII,
• —(A1—Z1)o—A2— VIII
• in which
• A1 and A2 are each independently
• (a) 1,4-phenylene in which one or two CH groups may be replaced by N;
• (b) 1,4-cyclohexylene in which one or two non-adjacent CH2 groups may be replaced by —O— or one —CH— group may be replaced by —C(CN)—;
• (c) naphthaline-2,6-diyl;
• wherein optionally the (a) group is substituted by halogen, cyano or alkyl with 1 to 6 C atoms,
• Z1 is each independently —COO—, —O—CO—, —CH2—CH2—, —C≡C—, —CH2O—, —OCH2— or a single bond, and
• o is 1, 2 or 3;
• and
• MG is not a mesogenic group of formulae (1), (3), (4), or (6):
• wherein
• L is CH3, Cl, F, OCH3, or —CO—CH3, and
• is 0, 1, 2 or 4.

A direactive compound of the formula:

• in which
• R1 and R2 are each independently
• —CH2—O—(CO)aCW═CH2 or
• a is 0 or 1;
• W is H, CH3, or Cl;
• wherein L is CH3, Cl, F, OCH3, or —CO—CH3 and r is 0, 1, 2 or 4
• m and n are different integers from 2 to 10, and
• t is 1.

A direactive mesogenic compound made by:

• c) treating a mesogenic diol of formula I,
• HO—MG—OH (I)
• with a mixture of the halides of formulae II and III,
• X1—(CH2)mRa (II)
• X2—(CH2)n—Rb (III)
• in the presence of a base,
• in which MG is a mesogenic group
• X1 and X2 are each independently Cl, Br or I,
• m and n are different integers from 1 to 20, and
• Ra and Rb are each independently groups selected from
• —CH2OH or —CH═CWH
• wherein
• W is H, CH3 or Cl;
• and
• the mesogenic group of the direactive mesogenic compound is not a mesogenic group of:
• wherein:
• L is CH3, Cl, OCH3, and
• r is 0, 1, 2 or 4.