Polymerizable liquid crystal compound and optical film

A polymerizable liquid crystal compound comprising at least one polymerizable reactive group and showing nematic liquid crystal properties, wherein said compound has a Δn/n value of 0.14 or more wherein n is average refractive index and Δn is extraordinary light refractive index (ne) minus ordinary light refractive index (no), and is aligned by application onto an alignment film, and wherein said compound includes a liquid crystal (meth)acrylate compound represented by the general formula (2):

• wherein R1 to R12 are the same or different and each represent —F, —H, —CH3,—C2H5 or —OCH3;
• R13 represents —H or —CH3;
• X1 represents a bifunctional group represented by the formula —(CH2CH2O)a(CH2)b(O)c—wherein a is an integer of 0 to 3, b is an integer of 0 to 12, and c is 0 or 1 provided that when a is an integer of 1 to 3, b is 0 and c is 0 and when a is 0, b is an integer of 1 to 12, and c is 1;
• and X2 represents —CN or —F, with the proviso that when X1 is —(CH2)2O—and X2 is —CN, not all one of R1 to R12 is —H.