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Definitions

• the invention relates to an electrooptical liquid system - which between 2 electrode layers contains a PDLC film comprising a liquid crystal mixture forming microdroplets in an optically isotropic, transparent polymer matrix,
• the crystal mixture is matched to the refractive index of the polymer matrix, - which exhibits an electrically switchable transparency which is essentially independent of the polarization of the incident light, - the precursor of the PDLC film of which comprises one or more monomers, oligomers and/or prepolymers and a photoinitiator, and is cured photoradically, and - the liquid crystal mixture of which comprises one or more compounds of the formula I
• trans-1,4-cyclohexylene 1,4-phenylene, 2-fluoro-1,4-phenylene, 3-fluoro-1, 4-phenylene, 2,3-difluoro-1, 4- phenylene or 3,5-difluoro-1,4-phenylene and one of may
• pyrimidine-2,5-diyl pyridine-2,5-diyl or trans-1,3-dioxane- 2,5-diyl
• X 1 and X 2 independently from one another, are H or F
• Q is CF 2 , OCF 2 , C 2 F 4 , OC 2 F 4 or a single bond
• Y is H, F, Cl or CN
• n is 0, 1 or 2
• PDLC polymer dispersed liquid crystal
• the liquid crystal mixture is first homogenously mixed with monomers and/or oligomers of the matrix-forming material; phase-separation is then induced by polymerization. Differentiation must further be made between TIPS (temperature-induced phase separation) and SIPS (solvent-induced phase separation) (Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst. Inc. Nonlin. Opt. 157 (1988) 427) both being also methods to produce PDLC films.
• TIPS temperature-induced phase separation
• SIPS solvent-induced phase separation
• the Swiss cheese morphology is preferred because it exhibits a reversible electrooptical characteristic line while the polymer ball system shows a distinct hysteresis generally leading to a drastic deterioration of the electrooptical characteristic line when comparing the virgin and the second run.
• the Swiss cheese morphology is promoted in case the polymerization reaction runs via a step mechanism, and in WO 89/06264 it is pointed out that the step mechanism is favoured in case the precursor of the polymer matrix consists of multifunctional acrylates and multifunctional mercaptanes.
• one of the refractive indices of the liquid crystal mixture customarily the ordinary refractive index n o , is selected in such a way that it more or less coincides with the refractive index n p of the polymeric matrix. If no voltage is applied to the electrodes, the liquid crystal molecules in the droplets exhibit a distorted alignment, and incident light is scattered at the phase boundary between the polymeric and liquid crystal phases.
• PDLC systems provided with active matrix addressing have been proposed on the basis of these favourable transmission properties in particular for projection applications, but in addition also for displays having high information content and for further applications.
• the liquid crystal mixtures used for producing PDLC systems have to meet a wide range of demands.
• One of the refractive indices of the liquid crystal mixture is selected such that it matches with the refractive index of the polymer matrix.
• the term matching of refractive indices used here covers not only the case n o (resp. another refractive index of the liquid crystal mixture) ⁇ n p , but also the condition n o (resp.
• the liquid crystal mixture preferably has a positive dielectrical anisotropy but the use of dielectrically negative liquid crystal mixtures (see, for example, WO 91/01511) or two-frequency liquid crystal mixtures (see, for example, N.A. Vaz et al., J. Appl. Phys. 65, 1989, 5043) is also discussed.
• the liquid crystal mixture should have a high clearing point, a broad nematic range, no smectic phases down to low temperatures and a high stability and should be distinguished by an optical anisotropy ⁇ n and a flow viscosity ⁇ which can be optimized with respect to the particular application, and by a high electrical anisotropy.
• Electrooptical systems containing PDLC films can be addressed passively or actively.
• Active driving schemes employing an active matrix having nonlinear addressing elements like, for example, TFT transistors integrated with the image point, are especially useful for displays with high information content.
• each image point represents a capacitive load with respect to the particular active nonlinear element, which is charged at the rhythm of the addressing cycle. In this cycle, it is of paramount importance that the voltage applied to an addressed image point drops only slightly -until the image point is again charged in the next addressing cycle.
• HR holding ratio
• liquid crystal mixture has insufficient miscibility with the monomers, oligomers and/or prepolymers of the polymer used for forming the matrix, which limits in particular the use of PIPS technology in microdroplet matrix systems.
• a further disadvantage is in particular that the liquid crystal mixture or individual components of the liquid crystal mixture are in many cases distinguished by an excessively high and/or significantly temperature dependent solubility in the cured, matrix-forming polymer.
• solubility or the temperature-dependence of the solubility of one or several components differs quite significantly from that of the remaining components, it may happen that the physical properties of the mixture and in particular also of the refractive indices n e and n o are substantially affected, which disturbs the adjustment of n o or n e or another refractive index of the liquid crystal mixture to n M , thus resulting in a deterioration of the optical properties of the system.
• the threshold voltage V th is usually defined as the voltage V 10,0,20 at which a transmission of 10 % is observed at a temperature of 20 °C and under a viewing angle ⁇ of 0° while the saturation voltage is the lowest voltage for which the maximum transmission is observed at 20 °C and a viewing angle of 0°.
• the switching on time t on is usually reported as the time necessary for the transmission to rise from 0 % to 90 % of the maximum transmission when the saturation voltage is applied while t off is the time necessary for the transmission to drop from 100 % to 10 % when the voltage is switched off.
• the switching voltage must not be chosen too high because of several reasons (power consumption, safety of operation, compatibility with conventional modules of microeletronic).
• the object of the invention was to provide PDLC systems of this type and precursors of these PDLC systems containing monomers, oligomers and/or prepolymers of the polymer used and a liquid crystal mixture.
• Other aims of the present invention are immediately evident to the person skilled in the art from the following detailed description.
• the invention thus relates to an electrooptical liquid crystal system - which between 2 electrode layers contains a PDLC film
• liquid crystal mixture comprising a liquid crystal mixture forming microdroplets in an optically isotropic, transparent polymer matrix, - in which one of the refractive indices of the liquid
• the crystal mixture is matched to the refractive index of the polymer matrix, - which exhibits an electrically switchable transparency which is essentially independent of the polarization of the incident light, - the precursor of the PDLC film of which comprises one or more monomers, oligomers and/or prepolymers and a photoinitiator, and is cured photoradically, and _ the liquid crystal mixture of which comprises one or more compounds of the formula I
• trans-1 4-cyclohexylene, 1, 4-phenylene, 2-fluoro-1,4-phenylene, 3-fluoro-1, 4-phenylene, 2,3-difluoro-1, 4- phenylene or 3,5-difluoro-1,4-phenylene and one of may
• X 1 and X 2 independently from one another, are H or F,
• Q is CF 2 , OCF 2 , C 2 F 4 or a single bond
• the reactive liquid crystalline compounds which can be used in the electrooptical systems according to the present invention is new, and such new reactive liquid crystalline compounds are also claimed.
• the present invention also relates to reactive liquid crystalline compounds of formula III
• P is alkylene with up to 12 C atoms, it being also possible for one or more CH 2 groups to be replaced by O,
• X is -O-, -S-, -COO-, -OCO- or a single bond.
• R 2 is alkyl radical with up to 15 C atoms which is unsubstituted, mono-or polysubstituted by halogen, it being also possible for one or more CH 2 groups in these radicals to be replaced, in each case independently of one another, by -O-, -S-, -CO-, -OCO-, -CO-O- or -O-CO-O- in such a manner that oxygen atoms are not linked directly to one another, -CN, -F, -Cl, or alternatively R2 has one of the meanings given for R 1 -P-X,
• a 3 is a 1,4-phenylene or a napthalene-2, 6-diyl radical which is unsubstituted or substituted with 1 to 4 halogen atoms.
• a 4 is (a) or
• radicals (a) and (b) it being possible for radicals (a) and (b) to be substituted by CN or halogen and one of the 1,4-phenylene groups in (a) and (b) can also be replaced by a 1,4-phenylene radical in which one or two CH groups are replaced by N, and is -CO-O-, -O-CO-, -CH 2 CH 2 - or a single bond.
• the construction of the electrooptical system according to the present invention corresponds to the customary mode of construction for systems of this type.
• the term customary mode of construction is in this case broadly interpreted and includes all adaptations and modifications.
• the matrix formed by the transparent medium in which the liquid crystal mixture is microdispersed or microencapsulated is arranged between conducting electrodes like a sandwich.
• the electrodes are applied, inter alia, to substrate sheets of, for example, glass, plastic or the like; if desired, however, the matrix can also be provided directly with electrodes so that the use of substrates can be avoided.
• One of the electrodes forms an active matrix while the other one acts as counter electrode.
• the precursor of the PDLC film comprising the precursor of the matrix, the liquid crystal mixture and one or more reactive liquid crystalline compounds can be capillary filled between two substrates which are provided with electrode layers, and the precursor of the PDLC film is subsequently cured, for example, by irradiation with UV light.
• Another technique comprises coating of the precursor of the PDLC film on a substrate with subsequent curing. The film may be peeled off and arranged between 2 substrates provided with electrode layers . It is also possible that the substrate onto which the precursor of the PDLC film is applied exhibits an electrode layer so that the electrooptical system can be obtained by applying a second electrode layer and, optionally, a second substrate onto the coated and cured film.
• the electrooptical system according to the invention can be operated reflectively or tramsmissively so that at least one electrode and, if present, the associated substrate are transparent.
• Both systems customarily contain no polarizers, as a result of which a distinctly higher light transmission results.
• no orientation layers are necessary, which is a considerable technological simplification in the production of these systems compared with conventional liquid crystal systems such as, for example, TN or STN cells.
• TIPS thermally induced phase separation
• SIPS solvent induced phase separation
• the thickness d of the electrooptical system is customarily chosen to be small in order to achieve a threshold voltage V th which is as low as possible.
• V th threshold voltage
• layer thicknesses of 0.8 and 1.6 mm are reported in US 4,435,047, while values for the layer thickness between 10 and 300 ⁇ m are given in US 4,688,900 and between 5 and 30 ⁇ m in
• the electrooptical systems according to the invention only have layer thicknesses d greater than a few mm in exceptional cases; layer thicknesses below 200 ⁇ m and especially below 100 ⁇ m are preferred. In particular, the layer thickness is between 2 and 100 ⁇ m, especially between 3 and 50 ⁇ m and very particularly between 3 and 25 ⁇ m.
• reactive liquid crystalline compounds denotes rodlike compounds of formula II R'-G'-R" II wherein at least one of the terminal groups R' and R" is a reactive group exhibiting one reaction site such as a
• a styrene type group - O -CW' CW' 2 with W' being independently from each other H or an alkyl group with 1-5 C atoms
• the other terminal group is also, independently from the first terminal group, a reactive group with one or more reactive sites or an alkyl radical with up to 15 C atoms which is unsubstituted or mono- or polysubstituted by halogene, it being also possible for one or more CH 2 groups in these radicals to be replaced, in each case independently of one another, by -O-, -S-, -CO-, -OCO-, -CO-O- or -O-CO-O- in such a manner that 0 atoms are not linked directly to one another.
• G is a rod-like diyl group of the formula -Si-(A 5 -Z 3 ) m -A 6 -S 2 - with S 1 and S 2 being independently from each other alkylene groups with 0-20 C atoms which can be linear or branched, it also being possible for one or more CH 2 groups to be replaced, in each case independently from each other, by -O-, -CO-, -S- or -NW'- with the proviso that 0 atoms are not linked
• a 5 and A 6 denote, independently from each other, a) a cyclohexylene group, wherein one or two non-adjacent CH 2 groups may be replaced by O or S atoms. b) an unsubstituted 1,4-phenylene group wherein one to three CH grops may be replaced by -N- or a 1,4-phenylene group which is mono- or polysubstituted by F, Cl and/or CH 3 , c) a bicyclo (2,2,2) octylene group, a naphthaline-2, 6-diyl group, a decahydronaphthaline-2, 6-diyl group or 1,2,3,4- tetrahydronaphthaline group,
• Z 3 is independently from each other -CO-O-, -O-CO-, -CH 2 CH 2 -, -CH 2 O-, -OCH 2 -, -C ⁇ C- or a single bond, and m denotes 1,2,3, or 4.
• reactive liquid crystalline compounds refers to reactive rod-like molecules like, for example, those of formula III or other rod-like reactive compounds which may be enantiotropic, monotropic or isotropic, preferably, however, enantiotropic or monotropic.
• At least one of R' and R'' preferably is or contains an ene-group
• the reactive liquid crystalline compounds being contained in the liquid crystalline phase when phase separation starts, are reacting with each other thus obviously forming some internal structure in the liquid crystalline microdroplets.
• This structure may be considered as some kind of network which divides the liquid crystalline microdroplet in some smaller sub-compartments which may be in contact with each or be separated from each other.
• the term "some kind of network” is to be understood in a wide sense and comprises a wide range of geometries of the internal structure.
• the surrounding polymer matrix and the internal structure may be connected or not.
• At least one of R' and R'' is a reactive group exhibiting one reactive site, and in particular a hydroxyl group, a thiol group, a carboxyl group, an amino group or an isocyanato group.
• Reactive liquid crystalline compounds of this type can be attached to the surrounding polymeric matrix in a coupling reaction or they can also react with each other, especially in case of suitably chosen co-reactive compounds of formula II.
• the coupling reaction may occur during the polymerization of the surrounding matrix or afterwards as a polymer-analogous reaction.
• the addition of one or more reactive liquid crystalline compounds of formula II exhibiting two reactive groups R' and R" to the liquid crystalline mixture is generally preferred. Also preferred is the addition of a reactive liquid crystalline component, containing at least two different reactive liquid crystalline compounds according to formula II at least one of which contains 2 reactive groups R' and R'' .
• Reactive liquid crystalline components containing at least one reactive liquid crystalline compound with one reactive group R' (monofunctional reactive liquid crystalline compound) and at least one reactive liquid crystalline compound with two reactive compounds (difunctional reactive liquid crystalline compound) often are especially preferred while reactive liquid crystalline components consisting of one or more monofunctional reactive liquid crystalline compounds usually are less advantageous.
• di-ene type compounds such as divinyls, diacry- lates or dimethacrylates, furthermore diols, dithiols and diisocyanates, but also compounds with different reactive groups such as ene-ols, ene-thiols, vinylacrylates etc.
• the groups S 1 and S 2 acting as spacer groups between the reactive groups R' and R" and the mesogenic core -(A 5 -Z 3 ) m -A 6 are independently from each other an alkylene group with 0-20 C atoms which can be linear or branched, it also being possible for one or more CH 2 groups to be replaced, in each case independently from each other by -0-, -CO-, -S- or -NW'- with the proviso that oxygen atoms are not linked directly to one another.
• the length and the structure of the groups S 1 and S 2 determine whether the mesogenic group exhibits a more or less pronounced degree of flexibility.
• suitable groups S 1 and S 2 is intended to be illustrative and not limiting: ethylene, propylene, butylene, pentylene, hexylene, heptylene, octylene, decylene, undecylene, dodecylene, octadecylene, ethyleneoxyethylene, methyleneoxybutylene, ethylenethio ethylene, ethylene-N-methyliminoethylene, (1-oxy)methyleneoyloxy, (2-oxy)ethyleneoyloxy, (3-oxy)propyleneoyloxy, (4-oxy)butyleneoyloxy, (5-oxy)pentyleneoyloxy, (6-oxy)hexy1-eneoyloxy, (7-oxy)heptyleneoyloxy, (8-oxy) octyleneoyloxy, (1-oxy
• reactive liquid crystalline compounds exhibiting 2-, 3- or 4-ring mesogenic groups according to formula (1)-(3) and in particular 2- or 3-ring mesogenic groups according to formula (1) or (2).
• Cyc is a 1,4-cyclohexylene group
• Phe is a 1,4-phenylene group which can be unsubstituted or mono-, di- or trifluorinated
• Dio is a 1,3-dioxane-2,5-diyl group
• Pyd is a pyridine-2,5-diyl group
• Pyr is a pyrimidine-2,5-diyl group
• Pip is a piperidine-1,4-diyl group.
• Bio is a 1,4-bicyclo(2,2,2)octylene group.
• Nap is a naphthaline-2, 6-diyl group and Thn is a 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthaline-2, 6-diyl group; the abbreviations Dio, Pyd, Pyr and Pip comprise all possible positional isomers. Especially preferred is the following smaller group of mesogenic cores according to formula (2):
• Electrooptical systems according to the present invention containing one or more reactive liquid crystalline compounds containing a two-ring mesogenic structure according to formulae (2)a-(2)c generally exhibit especially advantageous properties.
• Electrooptical systems containing both at least one 2-ring reactive liquid crystalline compound with a mesogenic group according to formula 2 (a)-2 (f) and at least one 3-ring reactive liquid crystalline compound with a mesogenic group according to formulae 3 (a)-3 (f) are preferred.
• first linking group second linking group - - CH 2 CH 2
• Electrooptical systems containing one or more reactive liquid crystalline compounds according to formula II which contain a mesogenic group with 4 rings according to formulae (4)a-(4)f exhibit advantageous properties: -Cyc-Z 3 -phe-Z 3 -Phe-Z 3 -Phe- (4) a
• At least one of Z 3 preferably is a single bond.
• the other two linking groups preferably denote independently from each other a single bond, -COO-, -OCO- OR -CH 2 CH 2 -.
• R is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group
• Z' is independently from each other -COO- or -OCO- (s-OOC)
• Hikmet describes in Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst., 198, 357-70 anisotropic gels which were obtained by curing a mixture of a low-molecular weight liquid crystal and liquid crystalline diacrylates.
• the use of reactive liquid crystalline compounds in PDLC systems is not reported in literature and it was completely surprising that PDLC systems the liquid crystalline mixture of which additionally contains one or more reactive liquid crystalline compounds, exhibits short switching times even at low temperature and simultaneously advantageous values of the switching voltages.
• Table 2 summarizes the electrooptical properties of systems each of them containing only one monofunctional reactive liquid crystalline compound. It can be taken from table 2 that the addition of monofunctional reactive liquid crystalline compounds alone is often less advantageous. Both in experiment no. 5 and no. 6 the switching times at least of 0 °C are inferior to the switching times of the conventional PDLC system according to comparative experiment No. 1. Especially disadvantageous is often the addition of monofunctional reactive liquid crystalline compounds wherein the non-reactive terminal group is a nitrile group.
• monofunctional reactive liquid crystalline compounds with a less polar or unpolar non-reactive terminal group such as F, Cl, CF 3 , OCF 3 , OCHF 2 , alkyl or alkoxy, however, arid/or the use of reactive liquid crystalline components containing at least one difunctional and at least one monofunctional liquid crystalline compound, is often preferred.
• the reactive liquid crystalline compounds which are completely soluble (i.e. soluble at any concentration ratio of liquid crystal mixture and reactive additive) or at least highly soluble in the liquid crystal mixture, are polymerized and form a network or some other kind of structure within the droplets.
• the switching times are the lower the more close-meshed the substructure is.
• the reactive liquid crystalline compound binds into the interface of polymeric matrix and liquid crystal micro- droplet which results in increased anchoring and hence restoring forces on the components of the liquid crystal mixture. This leads to an increase of the switching voltages which is the more pronounced the higher the concentration of the reactive liquid crystalline compounds is.
• the concentration of the reactive liquid crystalline component has therefore to be adjusted properly in order to realize a drastical reduction of switching times in connection with no or only a tolerable increase in switching voltages.
• the concentration of the reactive liquid crystalline component which consists of one or more reactive liquid crystalline compounds must not be chosen too high and preferably is not more than 5 % and especially less than 2.5 % with respect to the mass of the precursor of the PDLC film.
• the reactive liquid crystalline compounds can be chosen from the great pool of known and new reactive liquid crystalline compounds embraced by formula II.
• the reactive liquid crystalline compounds preferably exhibit a high or very high solubility in the liquid crystal mixture.
• the reactive liquid crystalline component preferably contains not more than 10 and in particular not more than 5 reactive crystalline compounds.
• Difunctional reactive liquid crystal-line compounds are generally preferred and in case of these compounds, the reactive liquid crystalline component perferably contains 1-6, especially 1-3 and in particular not more than 2 reactive liquid crystalline compounds.
• reactive liquid crystalline components comprising at least one difunctional and one monofunctional reactive liquid crystalline compound.
• reactive liquid crystalline components comprising at least one monofunctional reactive liquid crystalline compound with the second terminal group being F, Cl, CF 3 , OCF 3 , OCHF 2 or non-polar group such as alkyl or alkoxy.
• BL036 is a liquid crystal mixture available through ML, Poole, GB; TMPTMP is trimethylolpropanetri (3-mercaptopropionate); EHA is 2-ethyl-hexanolacrylate; HDDA is hexanedioldiacrylate, E 270 is a commercially available oligomer (Ebecryl 270, aliphatic urethane diacrylate, molecular weight ⁇ 1,200) and D 1173 is Darocur 1173 available through E. Merck, Darmstadt. Fig.
• Fig. 2 shows an electrooptical curve and the off-state transmission for the same system at 70 °C.
• Fig. 3 shows electrooptical curves for this system at 70 °C which were recorded after the off-switching in Fig. 2.
• the transmission starts at the high level of Fig. 2 and stops at this level during subsequent operations.
• the system can be fully recovered only when it is being cooled to lower temperatures of, for example, 20 °C but the effect appears again when returning to higher temperatures of operation.
• the electrooptical systems according to the present invention are characterized by a drastically reduced memory effect as can be seen from Fig. 4 showing an electrooptical characteristic line for a system according to the present invention the precursor of which contains 59.8 % of BL036, 0.2 % of
• Fig 5 shows the electroptical characteristic line for this system according to the present invention at 20 °C, which is excellent and only shows a slight increase with respect to V sat when compared to the system of Fig. 1.
• the properties of the systems of Fig. 1 and Fig. 5 are compared in the following table with T on resp.
• T off being on-state resp. off-state transmission.
• Fig. 6 shows an electrooptical curve at 70 °C for a system according to the present invention which contains 58 % of BL036, 2 % of the reactive liquid crystalline compound used in Fig. 4 and the same precursor of the matrix as in the system of Fig. 4. No memory effect is observed but the saturation voltage is at the same time considerably increased in comparison tot he saturation voltage of the system of Fig. 1 as was noted already above.
• Electrooptical systems according to the present invention the reactive liquid crystalline component of which amounts do not more than 1 % quite generally represent a very low memory effect on the one hand and a small and at any rate tolerable increase of the saturation voltage on the other hand.
• the electrooptical systems according to the present invention are characterized by advantageous electrooptical properties and, in particular, by low switching times, especially at low temperatures, and a considerably reduced memory effect.
• the liquid crystalline mixture used in the electrooptical systems according to the invention contains at lest 2 non-reactive liquid crystalline compounds which, for the sake of simplicity, are also simply termed as liquid crystalline compounds.
• the liquid crystalline mixture preferably comprises at least one compound of formula I
• pyrimidine-2,5-diyl pyridine-2,5-diyl or trans-1,3-dioxane- 2,5-diyl, ⁇ 1 and X 2 independently from one another, are H or F,
• Q is CF 2 , OCF 2 , C 2 F 4 or a single bond
• Y is H, F, Cl or CN
• n is 0, 1 or 2
• Phe is 1,4-phenylene
• Phe.2F is 2-fluoro-1,4-phenylene
• Phe.3F is 3-fluoro-1,4-phenylene
• Cyc is trans-1,4-cyclohexylene
• Pyr is pyrimidine-2,5-diyl and Pyd is pyridine-2,5-diyl, the two abbreviations Pyr and Pyd comprising in each case the two possible positional isomers.
• Phe. (F) is intended to designate a 1,4-phenylene group which may be unsubstituted or monosubstituted by fluorine in the 2 or 3 position.
• Phe.2F3F and Phe.3F5F are a 1,4-phenylene group which is difluorinated in the 2 and 3, and 3 and 5 position respectively.
• Liquid crystal compounds according to formula I, wherein Y is H, F or Cl will be termed in the following as SFM compounds (superfluorinated materials) according to formula I.
• Electrooptical systems whose liquid crystal mixture contains one or more binuclear compounds of the formula 12 are preferred:
• R is preferably alkyl or alkoxy having 1-10, but in particular 1-8, C atoms, the straight-chain radicals being preferred. Furthermore, n-alkoxyalkyl compounds and in particular n-alkoxymethyl and n-alkoxyethyl compounds are preferred.
• Z 2 is preferably -CH 2 CH 2 -, -COO- or a single bond, in particular a single bond or -CH 2 CH 2 - and very particularly a single bond.
• Y is -F, -Cl, -CN, -OCHF 2 , -OCF 3 or -CF 3 preferably -F, -Cl or -CN; in case of actively addressed PDLC systems according to the present invention Y is preferably -F, -Cl or -OCF 3 .
• Compounds of the formula 12 in which at least one of X 1 and X 2 is different from H are particularly preferred. is preferably Cyc, Phe.(F), Phe.3F5F, Phe.2F3F, Pyr,
• electrooptical systems whose liquid crystal mixture contains one or more trinuclear compounds of the formula 13 are preferred:
• R is preferably n-alkyl or n-alkoxy having 1-10 C atoms, furthermore also n-alkoxymethyl or n-alkoxyethyl having 1-8 C atoms and n-alkenyl having up to 7 C atoms.
• R is methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl, heptyl, octyl, nonyl, decyl, methoxy, ethoxy, propoxy, butoxy, pentoxy, hexoxy, heptoxy, octoxy, methoxymethyl, ethoxymethyl, propoxymethyl, butoxymethyl, methoxyethyl, ethoxyethyl or propoxyethyl.
• Z 1 and Z 2 in the compounds of the formulae 13 are, independently of one another, preferably -CH 2 CH 2 -, -COO- or a single bond and in particular
• Y is -F, -Cl, -CN, -OCHF 2 , -OCF 3 or
• Y is in particular -F, -Cl, -OCHF 2 and -OCF 3 .
• electrooptical systems whose liquid crystal mixture contains one or more tetranuclear compounds of the formula 14 are preferred:
• R is preferably n-alkyl or n-alkoxy having 1-10 C atoms, furthermore also n-alkoxymethyl or n-alkoxyethyl having 1-8 C atoms.
• R is methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl, heptyl, octyl, nonyl, decyl, methoxy, ethoxy, propoxy, butoxy, pentoxy, hexoxy, heptoxy or octoxy.
• weight proportion of the compounds of the formulae 14 in the liquid crystal mixture of the electrooptical systems according to the invention is preferably not too high and is in particular less than 20 %, the use of laterally fluorinated compounds of the formula 14 being in many cases preferred.
• the proportion of the compounds of the formula I in the liquid crystal mixtures used according to the invention is preferably not too small and is in particular more than 15 % and very particularly more than 20 %. Liquid crystal mixtures containing more than 40 % and in particular not less than 50 % of compounds of the formula I are particularly preferred.
• the liquid crystal mixtures used according to the invention can contain further components which are preferably selected from nematic or nematogenic (monotropic or isotropic) substances, in particular substances from the group comprising azoxybenzenes, benzylideneanilines, biphenyls, terphenyls.
• nematic or nematogenic (monotropic or isotropic) substances in particular substances from the group comprising azoxybenzenes, benzylideneanilines, biphenyls, terphenyls.
• phenyl or cyclohexyl benzoates phenyl or cyclohexyl cyclohexanecarboxylates, phenyl or cyclohexyl cyclohexylbenzoates, phenyl or cyclohexyl cyclohexylcyclohexanecarboxylates, cyclohexylphenyl benzoate, cyclohexylphenyl cyclohexanecarboxylate, or cyclohexylphenyl cyclohexylcyclohexanecarboxylate, phenylcyclohexanes, cyclohexylbiphenyls, phenylcyclohexylcyclohexanes, cyclohexylcyclohexanes, cyclohexylcyclohexenes, cyclohexylcyclohexylcyclohexenes, 1,4-bis(cyclo
• L and E which may be identical or different, are each, independently of one another, a bivalent radical from the group comprising -Phe-, -Cyc-, -Phe-Phe-, -Phe-Cyc-, -Cyc-Cyc-, -Pyr-, -Dio-, -G*-Phe- and -G*-Cyc- and mirror images thereof, Phe being unsubstituted or fluorine-substituted 1,4-phenylene, Cyc being trans-1,4-cyclohexylene or 1,4-cyclohexenylene, Pyr being pyrimidine-2,5-diyl or pyridine-2,5-diyl, Dio being 1,3-dioxane-2,5-diyl and G* being 2-(trans-1,4-cyclohexyl)ethyl, pyrimidine-2,5-diyl, ⁇
• One of the radicals L and E is preferably Cyc, Phe or Pyr. E is preferably Cyc, Phe or Phe-Cyc.
• the liquid crystals according to the invention preferably contain one or more components selected from compounds of the formulae 1 and 2, in which L and E are selected from the group comprising Cyc, Phe and Pyr and simultaneously one or more components are selected from the compounds of the formulae 1 and 2, in which one of the radicals L and E is selected from the group comprising Cyc, Phe and Pyr and the other radical is selected from the group comprising -Phe-Phe-, -Phe-Cyc-, -Cyc-Cyc-, -G*-Phe- and -G*-Cyc-, and, if desired, one or more components are selected from the compounds of the formulae 1 and 2, in which the radicals L and E are selected from the group comprising -Phe-Cyc-, -Cyc-Cyc-, -G*-Phe- and
• R* and R** in the compounds of the formulae 1 and 2 are each, independently of one another, preferably alkyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, alkenyloxy or alkanoyloxy having up to 8 carbon atoms. In most of these compounds, R* and R** are different from one another, one of these radicals being in particular alkyl, alkoxy or alkenyl. Especially preferred is the following smaller group of dielectrically neutral compounds of formulae 3 and 4
• Z* is independently from each other a single bond
• 1 and m are independently from each other 0 or 1
• the weight proportion of the compounds of the formulae 1-4 in the liquid crystals used according to the invention is preferably 0-50 % and in particular 0-40 %.
• the liquid crystal mixtures used in the electrooptical systems according to the invention preferably contain 1-98 %, in particular 5-05 %, of compounds of the formula I.
• the liquid crystals preferably contain 1-20, but in particular 1-15, and very particularly 1-12, compounds of the formula I.
• One skilled in the art can select additives for the liquid crystal mixtures described from the large pool of nematic or nematogenic substances in such a manner that the birefringence ⁇ n and/or the ordinary refractive index n o and/or other refractive indices and/or the viscosity and/or the dielectric anisotropy and/or further parameters of the liquid crystal are optimized with respect to the particular application.
• the liquid crystal mixture can contain further additives such as, for example, chiral compounds and other customary addi- tives.
• concentration of such additives is preferably not more than 7.5 % and, in particular, lower than 5 %.
• Formula II embraces both known and new reactive liquid crystalline compounds, and the present invention also relates to the new reactive liquid crystalline compounds of formula II.
• the reactive liquid crystalline compounds known so far are often characterized by high or very high melting points and values of the birefringence which are not high enough for many applications.
• P is alkylene with up to 12 C atoms, it being also possible for one or more CH 2 groups to be replaced by O, is -O-, -S-, -COO-, -OCO- or a single bond.
• R 2 is alkyl radical with up to 15 C atoms which is unsubstituted, mono-or polysubstituted by halogen, it being also possible for one or more CH 2 groups in these radicals to be replaced, in each case independently of one another, by -O-, -S-, -CO-, -OCO-, -CO-O- or -O-CO-O- in such a manner that oxygen atoms are not linked directly to one another, -CN, -F, -Cl or alternatively R2 has one of the meanings given for R 1 -Q-X,
• a 3 is a 1,4-phenylene or a napthalene-2,6-diyl radical which both can be unsubstituted or substituted with 1 to 4 halogen atoms, or trans-1,4-cyclohexylene
• a 4 is (a) or
• 1,4-phenylene groups in radicals (a) and (b) can be substituted by CN or halogen and one of the 1,4-phenylene groups in (a) and (b) can also be replaced by a 1,4-phenylene radical in which one or two CH groups are replaced by N, and is -CO-O-, -O-CO-, -CH 2 CH 2 - or a single bond. exhibit favorable properties and, in particular, advantageous values of birefringence and melting point.
• Electrooptical systems according to the present invention the reactive liquid crystalline component of which contains at least one compound according to formula III exhibit especially advantageous properties.
• Formula III covers reactive liquid crystalline compounds with 3 rings of formulae III1-III20
• Phe is a 1,4-phenylene group, which is unsubstituted or mono- or polysubstituted by CN or halogen
• Nap' is a naphtaline-2, 6-diyl group
• the compounds of formulae III1-III20 are preferred. Especially preferred are the compounds of fromulae III1-III3, III6-III10,III13-III15, III18-III20, III21 and III22 and, in particular the compounds of formulae III1, III8, III15 and III20.
• CH 2 CH-, , HWN-, HS-CH 2 -(CH 2 )m-COO- with W being H,
• R1 is a vinyl group, an acrylate group, an amino group or a mercapto group, and especially prefered are the following meanings of R 1 :
• the spacer-type group P is akylene with up to 24 C atoms, it is also being possible for one or more non adjacent CH 2 groups to be replaced by O.
• P may be straight-chain or branched.
• P especially preferred is ethylene, propylene, butylene, 1-methyl-propylene, 2-methyl-propylene, pentylene, 1-methyl-butylene, 2-methyl-butylene, hexylene, 2-ethyl-butylene, 1,3-dimethyl-butylene, hephylene, 1-methylhexylene, 2-methylhexylene, 3-methylhexylene, 4-methylhexylene, 5-methylhexylene, 6-methylhexylene, octylene, 3-ethyl-hexylene, nonylene, 1-methyloctylene, 2-methyloctylene, 7-methyloctylene, decylene, undecylene, dodecylene, 2-methylundecylene, 2,7,5-trimethyl-nonylene or 3-propyl-nonylene.
• P may be straight- chain or branched.
• P is 1-oxa-ethylene, 1-oxa-propylene, 2-oxapro ⁇ ylene, 1-oxa-butylene, 2-oxabutylene, 1,3-dioxabutylene, 1-oxa-pentylene, 2-oxa-pentylene, 3-oxy-pentylene, 2-oxa-3-methyl-butylene, 1-oxahexylene, 2-oxa-hexylene, 3-oxa-hexylene, 1,3-dioxa-hexylene, 1,4-dioxy-hexylene, 1,5-dioxa-hexylene, 1-oxy-heptylene, 2-oxa-heptylene, 1,3-dioxa-heptylene, 1,4-dioxa-heptylene, 1,5-dioxa-heptylene, 1,6-
• X is -O-, -S-, -COO-, -OCO- or a single bond and in particular -O-, -COO-, -OCC- or a single bond.
• X is -O-, -S- or -OCO-, the adjacent CH 2 -group of Q is not replaced by -O-.
• Z is -COO-, -OCO-, -CH 2 CH 2 - or a single bond.
• Z preferably is -COO-, -OCO-, -CH 2 CH 2 - or a single bond and, in particular, -COO-, -OCO- or a single bond.
• Z preferably is -CH 2 CH 2 - or a single bond.
• R 2 can be an alkyl radical with up to 15 C atoms which is unsubstituted, mono- or polysubstituted by halogen, it also being possible for one or more CH 2 groups in these radicals to be replaced, in each case independently from one another, by -O-, -S-, -CO-, -OCO-, -COO- or -O-COO- in such a manner that oxygen atoms are not linked directly to one another. If R 2 is an alkyl radical or alkoxy radical, it may be straight-chain or branched.
• it is straight-chain, has 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 carbon atoms and accordingly os preferably ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl, heptyl, octyl, ethoxy, propoxy, butoxy, pentoxy, hexoxy, heptoxy or octoxy, and furthermore methyl, nonyl, decyl, undecyl, tridecyl, tetradecyl, pentadecyl, methoxy, nonoxy, decoxy, undecoxy, dodecoxy, tridecoxy or tetradecoxy.
• Preferred branched radicals R 2 are isopropyl, 2-butyl
• 6-methyloctanyloxy 5-methylheptyloxycarbonyl, 2-methylbutyryloxy, 3-methylvaleryloxy, 4-methylhexanoyloxy, 2-chloropropionyloxy, 2-chloro-3-methylbutyryloxy, 2-chloro-4-methylvaleryloxy, 2 cloro-3-methylvaleryloxy, 2-methyl-3-oxypentyl, 2-methyl-3-oxahexyl.
• R 2 can also be a polar terminal group and in particular -CN, -Cl or -F; R 2 can also be - (L)-C d H e F 2d+1-e wherein L is a single bond -O- or -S-, d is 1 or 2 and e is 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5.
• R 2 can also have one of the meanings given for R 1 -Q-X- above.
• R 1 is an - optionally substituted - alkyl radical
• R 1 preferable is a vinyl or acrylate group while in case R 2 is
• R 1 -Q-X all meanings given above for R 1 are preferred.
• R 1 Especially preferred is the following smaller group of reactive liquid crystalline compounds according to formula III1:
• CH 2 CH- or HS-CH 2 -(CH 2 ) m COO-,
• V 1 is independently from each other -O-, -COO-,
• W 1 is independently from each other H, Cl or CH 3 , n is independently from each other 2-12,
• n is independently from each other 1-7, and is independently from each other 1,4-phenylene,
• 1,4-phenylene groups may be substituted independently from each other by 1, 2 or 3 F atoms. Laterally fluorinated compounds are preferred.
• V 2 is independently from each other -O- or a single bond
• n is independently from each other 2-12, and has the meaning indicated for III1-1,
• the compounds according to this formula may be laterally unsubstituted (all groups denote 1,4-phenylene) or 1, 2
• V 3 is independently from each other -O-, -COO-, -OOC-,
• W 3 is independently from each other H, Cl or CH 3 , a is 0 or 1,- n is independently from each other 2-12, r is 1 or 2,
• n is independently from each other 1-7, and has the meaning indicated for III1-1.
• V3 is -O- or a single bond
• the compounds of this specific subgroup are characterized by advantageous values of the melting point and the birefringence.
• V 4 is independently from each other -O-, -COO-, -OCO-,
• W 4 is independently from each other H, CH 3 or Cl, m is independently from each other 1-7,
• n is independently from each other 1-12
• t is 0, 1 or 2, and has the meaning indidated for III1-1. Conpounds of this type are partly covered by formula III1.
• the compounds according to this formula may be laterally unsubstituted (all groups denote 1,4-phenylene) or 1, 2 or 3 1,4-phenylene groups may be substituted independently from each other by 1, 2 or 3 F atoms. Laterally fluorinated compounds are preferred.
• the compounds of this specific subgroup are characterized by advantageous values of the melting pount and the birefringence. Especially preferred is further the following smaller group of reactive liquid crystalline compounds according to the following formula
• V 5 is independently from each other -0-, -COO-, -OCO-,
• W 5 is independently from each other H, CH 3 or Cl, n is independently from each other 1-12,
• n 1-7
• the compounds according to formula III-1 may be laterally unsubstituted (all groups. denote 1,4-phenylene) or 1, 2 or 3 1,4-phenylene groups may be substituted independently from each other by 1, 2 or 3 F atoms. Laterally fluorinated compounds are preferred. Compounds of this type are partly covered by formula III1. Particularly preferred in the following rather small group of compounds:
• W 6 is independently from each other H, CH 3 or Cl
• T 6 is independently from each other straicfit chain (CH 2 ) n or
• n is independently from each other 1-7
• n is independently from each other 1-12
• v is independently from each other 1-8
• w is independently from each other 0 or 1
• z is independently from each other 0-4,
• V 6 is independently from each other -O-, -S-, -COO-,
• c and d are independently from each other 0, 1 or 2, c+d is 1, 2 or 3,
• X is N or CH, and has the meaning indicated for III1-1.
• V 7 is independently from each other -O-, -COO-, -OOC-, -S- or a single bond
• W 7 is independently from each other H, Cl or CH 3 ,
• n is independently from each other 1-7
• b is independently from each other 0-11
• the reactive liquid crystalline compounds according to formula I and, in particular, the preferred compounds according to formula III and according to the preferred subclasses can be prepared by methods which are known per se and which are described, for example, in standard works of organic chemistry such as, for example, Houben-Weyl, Methoden der Organischen Chemie, Thieme-Verlag, Stuttgart. Some specific methods can be taken from the examples. In the following and in the preceding, all percentages given are percentages by weight. Temperatures are given in degrees Celsius. The following exapmles are intended to illustrate the invention without restricting it.
• Example 1 The reactive liquid crystalline compounds (1) is prepared via the sequence of reaction steps shown in diagram 1. Pd(Ph) 3 tetrakis triphenylphosphine palladium and ⁇ denotes heating.
• step 6 of diagram 1 1 mol of the phenylether obtained in step 5 and 1.1 mol of acryloyl chloride are dissolved in 1 1 of dichlormethane. 1.1 mol of triethylamine are added, and the mixture is stirred for 3 hours at room temperature.
• TEA triethylamine
• DCM dichloromethane
• rt room temperature
• step 4 of diagram 2 2.2 mol of triethylamine is added dropwise to a mixture of 1 mol of the alcohol obtained in step 3, and 2.1 mol of acryloyl chlorid in 2 1 of dichloromethane. After 24 hours the reaction mixture is washed with water, and volumne chromatography gives (2).
• DME is dimethoxyethane.
• step 5 of diagram 3 2.2 mol of triethylamine is added dropwise to a solution of 1 mol of the hydroxyterphenyl obtained in step 4 of diagram 3, and 2.1 mol acryloyl chloride in 21 dichloromethane. It is stirred for 4 hours at room temperature. Aqueous work-up and column chromatography fives (3).
• step 4 of diagram 4 2.2 mol triethylamine is added dropwise to a solution of the ester obtained in step 3 of diagram 4, and 2.1 mol acryloyl chloride in 2 1 dichloromethane. The reaction mixture is stirred at room temperature for 4 hours. Aqueous work-up and column chromatography gives (4).
• step 4 2.2 mol of triethylamine is added dropwise to a solution of 1 mol of the substituted pyrimidine obtained in step 3 of diagram 5, and 2.1 mol of acryloyl chloride in 2 1 dichloromethane. The reaction mixture is stirred at room temperature for 4 hours. Aqeous work-up and column chromatographic gives (5).
• Example 6 The reactive liquid crystalline compound (6) is prepared via the sequence of reaction steps shown in diagram 6.
• step 4 2.2 mol of triethylamine is added dropwise to a solution of 1 mol of the substituted pyrimidine obtained in step 3 of diagram 6, and 2.1 mol of acryloyl chloride in 2 1 dichloromethane, and the reaction mixture is stirred at room temperature for 4 hours. Aqueous work-up and column chromatographic gives (6).
• Example 7
• step 4 2.2 mol of triethylamine is added dropwise to a solution of 1 mol of the ethylene linked compound obtained in step 3 of diagram 4, and 2.1 mol of acryloyl chloride in 2 1 dichloromethane. The reaction mixture is stirred for 4 hours at room temperature. Aqueous work-up and column chromatography gives (7).
• Example 8 The optically active reactive liquid crystalline compound (8)
• THF is tetrahydrofurane and Br-CH 2 -CH 2 -THP is 2-bromo-1-(tetrahydropyranyl)-ethanol which can be prepared according to the method described in A. Hoppmann, Tetrahedron, 34 (1978), 1723.
• step 5 2.2 mol of triethylamine is added dropwise to a solution of 1 mol of the diol obtained in step 4 of diagram 8, and 2.1 mol of acryloyl chloride in 2 1 dichloromethane. The reaction mixture is stirred at room temperature for 4 hours. Aqeous work-up and column chromatography gives (8).
• Example 9
• Et 3 N is (CH 3 CH 2 ) 3 N.
• Compound (9) exhibits the following phase sequence: K 112 N 150 I.
• Compound (10) exhibits the following phase sequence:
• Compound (11) exhibits the following phase sequence :

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