Laterally substituted curable liquid crystals

A LCP mixture comprising a compound of formula (I)

• wherein
• G1 and G2 independently represent a polymerisable mesogenic residue;
• X represents a group selected from —CH2—, —O—, —CO—, —COO—, —OOC—, —CONR′—, —OCOO—, and —OCONR′—;
• Sp represents a group of the formula —(CH2)p— in which p is an integer of 1 to 18 and in which one or two non adjacent —CH2— groups are optionally replaced by —CH═CH—;
• or in which one or two —CH2— groups are optionally replaced by one or two groups selected from the group consisting of —O—, —CO—, —COO—, —OOC—, —CONR′—, —OCOO—, and —OCONR′ with the proviso that firstly the spacer group does not contain two adjacent heteroatoms and secondly when X is —CH2—, p can also have a value of 0;
• and
• M represents an achiral group of formula (II)
• in which
• A and B independently represent an optionally substituted six membered isocyclic or heterocyclic group or naphthalenediyl;
• C is selected from the group consisting of an optionally substituted five and six membered isocyclic or heterocyclic group or naphthalenediyl;
• n1 and n2 are 0 or 1 with the proviso that firstly 1≦n1+n2≦2 and secondly, when C is naphthalenediyl 0≦n1+n2≦2;
• Z1 is selected from the group consisting of —O—, —COO—, —OOC—, —CO—, —CONR′—, —NR′CO—, OCOO—, —OCONR′—, —NR′COO— and a single bond;
• in which
• R′ is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a lower achiral alkyl group and a lower achiral alkenyl group;
• Z2 and Z3 are independently selected from the group consisting of a single bond, —COO—, —OOC—, —CH2—CH2—, —CH2O—, —OCH2—, —CH═CH—, —C≡C—, —(CH2)4— and —(CH2)3O—;
• and
• R1 is selected from the group consisting of —CN, —COR, —COOR, —OCOR, —CONR′R, —NR′COR, OCOOR, —OCONR′R, —NR′COOR, —F, Cl, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR and —R
• in which
• R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, an achiral C1-18 alkyl and an achiral C4-18 alkenyl group with the double bond at 3- position or higher;
• and
• R′ is as defined above;
• with the proviso that at most one of the rings A, B and C is a naphthalenediyl group and one or more additional suitable components.