Liquid crystal composition

A nematic liquid crystal composition comprising:

• at least one of liquid crystal compounds containing a trans-4-trifluoromethoxycyclohexyl group in a backbone, in which the number of an intramolecular cyclohexane ring is 2;
• at least one of compounds in which dielectric anisotropy (Δε) is less than 1 in absolute value;
• and
• at least one selected from liquid crystal compounds containing a naphthalene-2,6-diyl group, a decahydronaphthalene-2,6-diyl group, or a 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene-2,6-diyl group in a backbone, in which Δε is 1 or more in absolute value, and a liquid crystal compound in which the number of a six-membered ring is 2 to 4, and Δε is 1 or more in absolute value, wherein
• a birefringence is in the range of 0.05 to 0.1, a viscosity is 25 mPa·s or less at 20° C., a threshold voltage is 1.9 V or less at 25° C., and a difference between an upper temperature limit and a lower temperature limit of a liquid crystalline phase is 80° C. or more, and
• the compound containing the trans-4-trifluoromethoxycyclohexyl group is represented by general formula (I):
• (wherein R1 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkoxyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkenyl group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, or an alkenyloxy group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, and Z1 and Z2 independently represent —COO—, —OCO—, —CH2═CH2—, —CH2CH2—, or a single bond, and n represents a number of 0), and
• the compound in which Δε is less than 1 in absolute value is represented by general formula (II):
• (wherein R2 and R3 independently represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 15 carbon atoms, an alkyl group having 1 to 15 carbon atoms substituted by at least one halogen, an alkenyl group having 2 to 15 carbon atoms, or an alkenyl group having 2 to 15 carbon atoms substituted by at least one halogen, in which one or two or more of a CH2 group can independently be substituted by an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom, —CO—, —COO—, —OCO—, or —OCO—O—provided that oxygen atoms never connect to each other,
• B1, B2, and B3 independently represent
• (a) a trans-1,4-cyclohexylene group (in which a CH2 group or two or more non-adjacent CH2 groups can be substituted by an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom)
• (b) a 1,4-phenylene group (in which a CH2 group or two or more non-adjacent CH2 groups can be substituted by a nitrogen atom)
• (c) a group selected from the group consisting of a 1,4-cyclohexenylene group, a 1,4-bicyclo(2.2.2)octylene group, a piperidine-1,4-diyl group, a naphthalene-2,6-diyl group, a decahydronaphthalene-2,6-diyl group, and a 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene-2,6-diyl group,
• groups (a), (b), and (c) can be substituted by a halogen,
• 1 represents 0 or 1, and
• L1 and L2 independently represent —COO—, —OCO—, —CH2O—, —OCH2—, —CH2CH2—, —CH═CH—, —C≡C—, —(CH2)4—, —CH═CH—CH2CH2—, —CH2CH2—CH═CH—, or a single bond).