Polymerizable liquid crystal compound, liquid crystal composition, optical anisotropic material and optical element

A polymerizable liquid crystal composition, comprising;

• at least 75 mass % of a polymerizable liquid crystal,
• wherein the polymerizable liquid crystal composition comprises at least 5 mass % of a compound represented by the following formula (1) based on the entire polymerizable liquid crystal;
• and
• wherein the polymerizable liquid crystal composition comprises at least 50 mass % of a compound represented by the following formula (1) and at least one compound represented by the following formulae (3A), (3B) and (3C) based on the entire polymerizable liquid crystal,
• CH2═CR1—COO-(L)k-E1-E2-E3-(E4)m-(E5)n-R2 (1)
• CH2═CR3—COO-Ph-OCO-Cy-Z2-R4 (3A)
• CH2═CR5—COO-Z3-Z4-R6 (3B)
• CH2═CR7—COO-(CH2)v—O-Ph-Z5-R8 (3C)
• provided that the symbols in the formulae have independently the following meanings;
• R1, R3, R5 and R7 are each independently a hydrogen atom or a methyl group;
• R3, R4, R6 and R8 are each independently a C1-8 alkyl group;
• L is —(CH2)pO—, —(CH2)q—, -Cy-COO— (Cy is a trans-1,4-cyclohexylene group), -Cy-OCO—, -E6-(CH2)2—, -E7-CH2O— or -E8-O— (wherein each of p and q which are independent of each other, is an integer of from 2 to 8);
• E1, E2, E3, E4, E5, E6, E7, E8, Z2, Z3, Z4 and Z5 are each independently a 1,4-phenylene group or a trans-1,4-cyclohexylene group (provided that at least one of E1, E2 and E3 is a trans-1,4-cyclohexylene group, and in case where L is -Cy-OCO—, E1 is a trans-1,4-cyclohexylene group), provided that the above 1,4-phenylene group and trans-1,4-cyclohexylene group may be such that a hydrogen atom bonded to a carbon atom in each group may be substituted by a fluorine atom, a chlorine atom or a methyl group;
• and
• k, m, n are each independently 0 or 1, provided that when k is 1 and L is -Cy-COO—, -Cy-OCO—, -E6-(CH2)2—, -E7-CH2O— or -E8-O—, at least one of m and n is 0;
• Ph is a 1,4-phenylene group;
• and
• v is an integer of from 1 to 8.