Photochemically active chiral compounds and compositions containing the same

A liquid crystalline composition comprising a nematic host and a phototunable chiral dopant wherein said phototunable chiral dopant is represented by the following structure:

• A and C are the same and selected from one of CH2, —O—, and —CR1 (R1)R2 (R2);
• B and D are the same, but independent of A and C, and are selected from one of CH2, —O—, and CR1 (R1)R2 (R2);
• wherein R1 and R2 are independently selected from a C1-C5 alkyl group and C1-C5 alkoxy group and optionally wherein if R1 and R2 groups are on the same ring, they can form a fused ring;
• X is each independently selected from one of one or more H atoms and a halogen;
• Z is selected from one of an H atom, halogen, CN, straight chain, branched alkyl, alkoxyl, and nitrogen based substituent groups;
• RNG1 and RNG2 are each independently selected from 1,4-phenylene in which, one or more CH groups may be replaced by N, 1,4-cyclohexylene in which, one or two non-adjacent CH2 groups may be replaced by 0 and/or S, 1,4-cyclohexenylene, 1,4-bicyclo(2,2,2)octylene, piperidine-1,4-diyl, naphthalene-2,6-diyl, decahydronaphthalene-2,6-diyl, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene-2,6-diyl, and mono- or poly-substituted derivatives of such compounds substituted with halogen, cyano or nitro groups, or alkyl, alkoxy or alkanoyl groups having 1 to 7 C atoms wherein one or more H atoms may be substituted by an F or Cl;
• n represents an integer independently varying from 0 to 3;
• m represents an integer independently varying from 0 to 2;
• p represents an integer independently varying from 1 to 4;
• q represents an integer independently varying from 0 to 5;
• and
• Q is each independently represents a carbon C-RC, or nitrogen, wherein RC is independently hydrogen or any substituent.

An article comprising a substrate and a liquid crystalline layer coated thereon, wherein said liquid crystalline layer comprises a nematic host and a phototunable chiral dopant represented by the following structure:

• A and C are the same and selected from one of CH2, —O—, and —CR1 (R1)R2 (R2)—;
• B and D are the same, but independent of A and C, and are selected from one of CH2, —O—, and CR1 (R1)R2 (R2);
• wherein R1 and R2 are independently selected from a C1-C5 alkyl group and C1-C5 alkoxy group and optionally wherein if R1 and R2 groups are on the same ring, they can form a fused ring;
• X is each independently selected from one of one or more H atoms and a halogen;
• Z is selected from one of an H atom, halogen, CN, straight chain, branched alkyl, oxygen, and nitrogen based substituent groups;
• RNG 1 and RNG2 are each independently selected from 1,4-phenylene in which, one or more CH groups may be replaced by N, 1,4-cyclohexylene in which, one or two non-adjacent CH2 groups may be replaced by O and/or S, 1,4-cyclohexenylene, 1,4-bicyclo(2,2,2)octylene, piperidine-1,4-diyl, naphthalene-2,6-diyl, decahydronaphthalene-2,6-diyl, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene-2,6-diyl, and mono- or poly-substituted derivatives of such compounds substituted with halogen, cyano or nitro groups, or alkyl, alkoxy or alkanoyl groups having 1 to 7 C atoms wherein one or more H atoms may be substituted by an F or C1;
• n represents an integer independently varying from 0 to 3;
• m represents an integer independently varying from 0 to 2;
• p represents an integer independently varying from 1 to 4;
• q represents an integer independently varying from 0 to 5;
• and
• Q is each independently represents a carbon C—RC, or nitrogen, wherein RC is independently hydrogen or any substituent.