Liquid crystal composition and liquid crystal device

A liquid crystal device comprising:

• a pair of electrodes of which at least one is a transparent electrode, and a liquid crystal layer between the pair of electrodes comprising a liquid crystal composition comprising at least one dual-frequency switchable smectic liquid crystal and at least one dichroic dye;
• wherein the dichroic dye is represented by a formula (3):
• wherein R11, R12, R13, R14, R15, R16, and R17 respectively represent a hydrogen atom or a substituent, provided that at least one represents a substituent represented by —S—{(B1)p-(Q1) q—(B2)r}n—C1, in which S represents a sulfur atom:
• B1 and B2 respectively represent a substituted or non-substituted arylene group, heteroarylene group or divalent cyclic aliphatic hydrocarbon group:
• Q1 represents a divalent linking group:
• C1 represents a substituted or non-substituted alkyl group, cycloalkyl group, alkoxy group, alkoxycarbonyl group, acyl group or acyloxy group;
• p, q and r respectively represent an integer from 0 to 5;
• and n represents an integer from 1 to 3, provided that a total number of groups
• represented by B1 and B2 is from 3 to 10;
• in case any of p, q and r is equal to or larger than 2, B1, Q1 or B2 present in two or more units may be same or different to each other;
• and, in case n is equal to or larger than 2, {(B1)p-(Q1)q—(B2)r} present in two or more units may be same or different to each other.

A liquid crystal composition comprising:

• at least one dual-frequency switchable smectic liquid crystal, and at least one dichroic dye wherein the dichroic dye is represented by a formula (2):
• where R1 represents a substituent represented by —S—{(B1)p(Q1)q—(B2)r}n—C1, in which S represents a sulfur atom;
• B1 and B2 respectively represent a substituted or non-substituted arylene group, heteroarylene group or divalent cyclic aliphatic hydrocarbon group;
• Q1 represents a divalent linking group;
• C1 represents a substituted or non-substituted alkyl group, cycloalkyl group, alkoxy group, alkoxycarbonyl group, acyl group or acyloxy group;
• p, q and r respectively represent an integer from 0 to 5;
• and n represents an integer from 1 to 3, provided that a total number of groups represented by B1 and B2 is from 3 to 10;
• in case any of p, q and r is equal to or larger than 2, B1, Q1 or B2 present in two or more units may be same or different to each other;
• and, in case n is equal to or larger than 2, {(B1)p-(Q1)q—(B2)r} present in two or more units may be same or different to each other;
• R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7 and R8 respectively represent a hydrogen atom, a fluorine atom, a chlorine atom, a hydroxy, an optionally substituted hydrocarbon arylthio group, an optionally substituted alkylthio group, an optionally substituted amino group, an optionally substituted alkylamino group, an optionally substituted arylamino group, an optionally substituted alkyl group, an optionally substituted aryl group, an optionally substituted alkoxy group or an optionally substituted aryloxy group.

A liquid crystal device comprising:

• a pair of electrodes of which at least one is a transparent electrode, and
• a liquid crystal layer between the pair of electrodes comprising a liquid crystal composition comprising at least one dual-frequency switchable smectic liquid crystal and at least one dichroic dye
• wherein the dichroic dye is represented by a formula (2):
• where R1 represents a substituent represented by —S—{(B1)p(Q1)q—(B2)r}n—C1, in which S represents a sulfur atom;
• B1 and B2 respectively represent a substituted or non-substituted arylene group, heteroarylene group or divalent cyclic aliphatic hydrocarbon group;
• Q1 represents a divalent linking group;
• C1 represents a substituted or non-substituted alkyl group, cycloalkyl group, alkoxy group, alkoxycarbonyl group, acyl group or acyloxy group;
• p, q and r respectively represent an integer from 0 to 5;
• and n represents an integer from 1 to 3, provided that a total number of groups represented by B1 and B2 is from 3 to 10;
• in case any of p, q and r is equal to or larger than 2, B1, Q1 or B2 present in two or more units may be same or different to each other;
• and, in case n is equal to or larger than 2, {(B1)p—(Q1)q—(B2)r} present in two or more units may be same or different to each other;
• R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7 and R8 respectively represent a hydrogen atom, a fluorine atom, a chlorine atom, a hydroxy, an optionally substituted hydrocarbon arylthio group, an optionally substituted alkylthio group, an optionally substituted amino group, an optionally substituted alkylamino group, an optionally substituted arylamino group, an optionally substituted alkyl group, an optionally substituted aryl group, an optionally substituted alkoxy group or an optionally substituted aryloxy group.