2-substituted-alkyl ether and liquid crystal composition

• US 6,146,547 A
• Filed: 04/19/1999
• Issued: 11/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chisso Corporation
• Original Assignee: Chisso Corporation
• Inventors: Saito, Shinichi, Shundo, Ryushi, Saito, Hideo, Okabe, Eiji, Hirokawa, Akihisa
• Primary Examiner(s): KELLY, CYNTHIA HARRIS
• Application Number:
  US09/293,842
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 252/299.61, 546/339
• US Class Current: 252/299.61
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 19/0225 Ferroelectric
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 19/126 Compounds containing at least one asymmetric carbon atom
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 19/3444 the heterocyclic ring being a six-membered aromatic ring containing one nitrogen atom, e.g. pyridine
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 19/3463 Pyrimidine with a carbon chain containing at least one asymmetric carbon atom, i.e. optically active pyrimidines
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 19/42 Mixtures of liquid crystal compounds covered by two or more of the preceding groups C09K19/06 - C09K19/40
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 19/44 containing compounds with benzene rings directly linked
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 19/586 Optically active dopants; chiral dopants
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 19/588 Heterocyclic compounds

Abstract

A 2-substituted-alkyl ether having an optically active group and being useful as a component of ferroelectric liquid crystal compositions, and a liquid crystal composition containing the same are provided, which 2-substituted-alkyl ether is expressed by the formula ##STR1## wherein R¹ represents a linear or branched chain alkyl, alkoxy, alkanoyl, alkanoyloxy or alkoxycarbonyl of 1 to 18 C; R² represents a linear or branched alkyl of 2 to 15 C; ##STR2## and ##STR3## each independently represents ##STR4## wherein Y represents cyano, halogen, methyl or methoxy; and X represents --OR³, ##STR5## F, Cl or Br wherein R³ represents a linear or branched alkyl group of 1 to 10 C or H; and * indicates asymmetric C.

Claims

1. A 2-substituted-alkyl ether expressed by the formula ##STR69## wherein R¹ represents linear or branched chain alkyl or alkoxy, each of 1 to 18 carbon atoms;

R² represents linear or branched chain alkyl of 2 to 15 carbon atoms;

X represents a fluorine atom;

##STR70## and * indicates an asymmetric carbon atom.

2. A 2-substituted-alkyl ether according to claim 1, wherein R¹ represents the alkyl group.

3. A 2-substituted-alkyl ether according to claim 1, wherein R¹ represents the alkoxy group.

4. A 2-substituted-alkyl ether according to claim 1, wherein R² represents hexyl.

5. A 2-substituted-alkyl ether according to claim 1, wherein R² represents octyl.

6. A 2-substituted-alkyl ether according to claim 4, wherein R¹ represents octyl.

7. A 2-substituted-alkyl ether according to claim 4, wherein R¹ represents hexyl.

8. A 2-substituted-alkyl ether according to claim 4, wherein R¹ represents butyl.

9. A 2-substituted-alkyl ether according to claim 4, wherein R¹ represents propyl.

10. A 2-substituted-alkyl ether according to claim 4, wherein R¹ represents octyloxy.

11. A 2-substituted-alkyl ether according to claim 5, wherein R¹ represents octyl.

12. A 2-substituted-alkyl ether according to claim 5, wherein R¹ represents octyloxy.

13. A liquid crystal composition comprising at least two components, at least one of which is a 2-substituted-alkyl ether as set forth in claim 1.

14. A liquid crystal composition comprising at least two components, at least one of which is a 2-substituted-alkyl ether as set forth in claim 1, exhibiting chiral smectic phases.

15. A liquid crystal composition comprising at least two components, at least one of which is a 2-substituted-alkyl ether as set forth in claim 1, exhibiting a chiral nematic phase.