High polarization ferroelectric liquid crystal compositions

1. A chiral, non-racemic liquid crystal composition comprising a chiral compound of the formula:

C n F 2n+1 C m H 2m —Y—R T -[A] a -[R A ] p -[B] b —[R B ] q —XCR

wherein

n is an integer from 1 to 20;

m is an integer from 2 to 20;

a, b, p and q are either 0 or 1, when p is 0, a is 0 and when q is 0, b is 0;

Y is a single bond or oxygen;

X is selected from the group consisting of a single bond, oxygen, —CO—, —O—CO—, —CO—O— and a lower alkylene group where one or more carbon atoms is optionally substituted with one or more of oxygen or —CO—;

CR is selected from the group consisting of:

wherein

each of R 1 and R 3 is independently hydrogen, lower alkyl, lower alkenyl, lower haloalkyl, or lower haloalkenyl;

R 2 is an alkyl, alkenyl, ether, thioether, or silyl group having from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms wherein one or more CH 2 groups are optionally replaced with —S—, —O—, —CO—, —CO—O—, —O—CO—, or —Si(R′) 2 , and where R′ is lower alkyl or lower haloalkyl,

provided at least one carbon center indicated by * is an asymmetric carbon center;

A and B, independently, are linker groups selected from the group consisting of —CO—, —O—CO—, —CO—O—, —CH 2 —CH 2 —, —CH 2 —CH 2 —O—, —O—CH 2 —CH 2 —, —C≡C—, —CH═CH—, and —CH═CH—CH═CH—, and

R T , R A , and R B together represent a mesogenic core, wherein each of the R T , R A , and R B is independently selected from the group consisting of cycloalkylene, and heterocycloalkylene, cycloalkylene, heterocycloalkenylene, arylene, and heteroarylene each of which is independently optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halide, alkyl, haloalkyl, alkenyl, haloalkenyl, nitro, and nitrile.

2. The composition of claim 1 wherein CR is selected from the group consisting:

each R T , R A , and R B is independently selected from the group consisting of naphthylene, cyclohexylene, 6-membered heterocycloalkylene comprising one or two ring nitrogen atoms, cyclohexenylene, 6-membered heterocycloalkenylene comprising one or two ring nitrogen atoms, phenylene, and heteroarylene comprising one or two ring nitrogen atoms each of which is independently optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halide, alkyl, haloalkyl, alkenyl, haloalkenyl, nitro, and nitrile.

3. The composition of claim 1 wherein each of R T , R A , and R B is independently selected from the group consisting of naphthylene, phenylene, cyclohexylene, cyclohexenylene, pyrimidinylene, pyridinylene, 1,2,34-tetrahydronaphthylene, and 1,4-dihydronaphthylene.

4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein said mesogenic core is a biaryl moiety.

5. The composition of claim 1 wherein said mesogenic core selected from the group consisting of:

where R″ is lower alkyl.

6. The composition of claim 1 , wherein said chiral, non-racemic liquid crystal composition further comprises an achiral liquid crystal host.

7. The composition of claim 6 , wherein the said achiral liquid crystal host comprises an achiral compound selected from the group consisting of:

and a mixture of two or more thereof.

8. The composition of claim 1 wherein n=m.

9. The composition of claim 1 wherein Y is O.

10. The composition of claim 1 wherein the total amount of chiral compound in said chiral, non-racemic liquid crystal composition is 10% or less.

11. The composition of claim 1 which has Ps of 10 nC/cm 2 or more at room temperature.

12. The composition of claim 11 wherein the total amount of chiral compound in said chiral, non-racemic liquid crystal composition is 5% by weight or less.

13. A compound having the formula:

wherein

n and m are integers ranging from 1 to about 20;

X is selected from the group consisting of a single bond, oxygen, —CO—, —OCO—, —CO—O— 2 and a lower alkyl group, wherein one or more carbon atoms of said lower alkyl group is optionally replaced with oxygen or —CO—; and

CR is selected from the group consisting of:

wherein

R 1 and R 3 , independently of each other, are hydrogen, lower alkyl, lower alkenyl, lower haloalkyl, or lower haloalkenyl; and

R 2 is hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, ether, thioether, or silyl group having from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms wherein one or more CH 2 groups are optionally replaced with —S—, —O—, —CO—, —CO—O—, —O—CO—, or —Si(R′) 2 —, wherein R′ is a lower alkyl optionally substituted with one or more halogens;

provided at least one carbon center indicated by * is an asymmetric carbon center.

14. A chiral, non-racemic liquid crystal composition comprising a chiral compound of the formula:

C n F 2n+1 C m H 2m —Y—R T —[A] a —[R A ] p —[B] b —[R B ] q —XCR

wherein

n is an integer from 1 to 20;

m is an integer from 2 to 20;

a, b, p and q are either 0 or 1, when p is 0, a is 0 and when q is 0, b is 0;

Y is a singe bond or an oxygen;

X is selected from the group consisting of a single bond, oxygen, —CO—, —O—CO—, —CO—O— and a lower alkyl group where one or more carbon atoms is optionally substituted with one or more of oxygen or —CO—;

CR is selected from the group consisting of:

wherein

each of R 1 and R 3 is independently hydrogen, lower alkyl, lower alkenyl, lower haloalkyl, or lower haloalkenyl;

R 2 is an alkyl, alkenyl, ether, thioether, or silyl group having from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms wherein one or more CH 2 groups are optionally replaced with —S—, —O—, —CO—, —CO—O—, —O—CO—, or —Si(R′) 2 , and where R′ is lower alkyl lower haloalkyl,

provided at least one carbon center indicated by * is an asymmetric carbon center;

A and B, independently, are linker groups selected from the group consisting of —CO—, —O—CO—, —CO—O—, —CH 2 —CH 2 —, —CH 2 —CH 2 —O—, —O—CH 2 —CH 2 —, —C≡C—, —CH═CH—, and —CH═CH—CH═CH—; and

R T , R A , and R B together represent a mesogenic core, wherein each of R T , R A , and R B is independently selected from the group consisting of:

(a) cyclohexylene,

(b) 6-membered heterocycloalkylene comprising one or two heteroatoms each of which is independently selected from the group consisting of nitrogen and oxygen,

(c) cycloalkenylene,

(d) 6-membered heterocycloalkenylene comprising one or two heteroatoms each of which is independently selected from the group consisting of nitrogen and oxygen,

(e) phenylene,

(f) naphthylene, and

(g) heteroarylene comprising one or two heteroatoms each of which is independently selected from the group consisting of nitrogen and oxygen,

wherein each of R T , R A , and R B is independently optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halide, alkyl, haloalkyl, alkenyl, haloalkenyl, nitro, and nitrile.

15. A chiral, non-racemic liquid crystal composition which comprises one or more chiral compounds of claim 13 .

16. A compound of the formula:

17. The chiral, non-racemic liquid crystal composition of claim 14 , wherein the chiral compound is the formula:

18. A non-racemic liquid crystal composition comprising a rod-like chiral liquid crystal compound and optionally an achiral liquid crystal host, wherein said rod-like chiral liquid crystal compound comprises a mesogenic core moiety having an achiral fluorinated alkyl tail on one end of the long axis of said mesogenic core moiety and a chiral tail on the other end of the long axis of said mesogenic core moiety, wherein:

said mesogenic core comprises a cyclic ring system, wherein said cyclic ring system is selected from the group consisting of cycloalkylene, cycloalkenylene, heterocycloalkylene, heterocycloalkenylene, arylene, heteroarylene, and a combination of two or more thereof; and

said chiral tail comprises a chiral moiety selected from the group consisting of:

wherein

each of R 1 and R 3 is independently hydrogen, lower alkyl, lower alkenyl, lower haloalkyl, or lower haloalkenyl; and

R 2 is an alkyl, alkenyl, ether, thioether, or silyl group having from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms wherein one or more CH 2 groups are optionally replaced with —S—, —O—, —CO—, —CO—O—, —O—CO—, or —Si(R′) 2 , and where R′ is lower alkyl or lower haloalkyl;

provided at least one carbon center indicated by * is an asymmetric carbon center.

19. The non-racemic liquid crystal composition of claim 18 , wherein said mesogenic core moiety comprises three cyclic ring systems or less.

20. The non-racemic liquid crystal composition of claim 19 , wherein each of said cyclic ring system is selected from the group consisting of cyclohexylene, cyclohexenylene, heterocycloalkylene comprising one or two ring nitrogen atoms, heterocycloalkenylene comprising one or two ring nitrogen atoms, phenylene, naphthylene, an heteroarylene comprising one or two ring nitrogen atoms.

21. The non-racemic liquid crystal composition of claim 18 , wherein each of said cyclic ring system is independently a six-membered monocyclic ring system or a ten-membered bicyclic ring system.

22. A rod-like liquid crystal compound comprising mesogenic core moiety, wherein said mesogenic core moiety is substituted with an achiral fluorinated alkyl substituent on one end of the long axis of said mesogenic core moiety and a chiral substituent on the other end of the long axis of said mesogenic core moiety, wherein:

said mesogenic core comprises a cyclic ring system, wherein said cyclic ring system is selected from the group consisting of cycloalkylene, cycloalkenylene, heterocycloalkylene, heterocycloalkenylene, arylene, heteroarylene, and a combination of two or more thereof, and

said chiral substituent comprises a chiral moiety selected from the group consisting of:

wherein

each of R 1 and R 3 is independently hydrogen, lower alkyl, lower alkenyl, lower haloalkyl, or lower haloalkenyl; and

R 2 is an alkyl, alkenyl, ether, thioether, or silyl group having from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms wherein one or more CH 2 groups are optionally replaced with —S—, —O—, —CO—, —CO—O—, O—CO—, or —Si(R′) 2 , and where R′ is lower alkyl or lower haloalkyl;

provided at least one carbon center indicated by * is an asymmetric carbon center.