Mesogen-containing compounds

1. A mesogen-containing compound represented by one of the following structures:

wherein,

a) each X is independently:

i) a group R,

ii) a group represented by -(L) y -R,

iii) a group represented by -(L)-R,

iv) a group represented by

 or

v) a group represented by -(L) y -P;

b) each P is a independently chosen from hydrogen, aryl, alkyl, alkoxy, alkylalkoxy, alkoxyalkoxy, polyalkylether, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl (C 1 -C 6 )-alkoxy (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, polyethyleneoxy and polypropyleneoxy;

c) each L is independently chosen for each occurrence, the same or different, from a single bond, a polysubstituted, monosubstituted, unsubstituted or branched spacer independently chosen from arylene, (C 1 -C 30 )alkylene, (C 1 -C 30 )alkylenecarbonyloxy, (C 1 -C 30 )alkyleneamino, (C 1 -C 30 )alkyleneoxy, (C 1 -C 30 )perfluoroalkylene, (C 1 -C 30 )perfluoroalkyleneoxy, (C 1 -C 30 )alkylenesilyl, (C 1 -C 30 )dialkylenesiloxyl, (C 1 -C 30 )alkylenecarbonyl, (C 1 -C 30 )alkyleneoxycarbonyl, (C 1 -C 30 )alkylenecarbonylamino, (C 1 -C 30 )alkyleneaminocarbonyl, (C 1 -C 30 )alkyleneaminocarbonyloxy, (C 1 -C 30 )alkyleneaminocarbonylamino, (C 1 -C 30 )alkyleneurea, (C 1 -C 30 )alkylenethiocarbonylamino, (C 1 -C 30 )alkyleneaminocarbonylthio, (C 2 -C 30 )alkenylene, (C 1 -C 30 )thioalkylene, (C 1 -C 30 )alkylenesulfone, or (C 1 -C 30 )alkylenesulfoxide, wherein each substituent is independently chosen from (C 1 -C 5 )alkyl, (C 1 -C 5 )alkoxy, fluoro, chloro, bromo, cyano, (C 1 -C 5 )alkanoate ester, isocyanato, thiolsocyanato, or phenyl;

d) the group R is selected from hydrogen, C 1 -C 18 alkyl, C 1 -C 18 alkoxy, C 1 -C 18 alkoxycarbonyl, C 3 -C 10 cycloalkyl, C 3 -C 10 cycloalkoxy, poly(C 1 -C 18 alkoxy), or a straight-chain or branched C 1 -C 18 alkyl group that is unsubstituted or substituted with cyano, fluoro, chloro, bromo, or C 1 -C 18 alkoxy, or poly-substituted with fluoro, chloro, or bromo; and

e) the groups Mesogen-1 and Mesogen-2 are each independently a rigid straight rod-like liquid crystal group, a rigid bent rod-like liquid crystal group, or a rigid disc-like liquid crystal group;

wherein w is an integer from 1 to 26, y is an integer from 2 to 25, z is 1 or 2, provided that when:

(i) the group X is represented by R, then w is an integer from 2 to 25, and z is 1;

(ii) the group X is represented by -(L) y -R, then w is 1, y is an integer from 2 to 25, and z is 1;

(iii) the group X is represented by -(L) w -R, then w is an integer from 3 to 26, and z is 2;

(iv) the group X is represented by

then w is 1, y is an integer from 2 to 25, with the proviso that -(L) y -comprises at least two groups L that are different from a single bond and z is 1;

(v) the group X is represented by -(L) y -P, then w is 1, y is an integer from 2 to 25, and z is 1 and -(L) y -comprises a linear sequence of at least 25 bonds between the mesogen and P; and in -(L) y - and -(L) w -no two arylene groups are linked by a single bond.

2. The mesogen-containing compound of claim 1 , wherein the groups Mesogen-1 and Mesogen-2 independently have a structure represented by:

—[S 1 ] c -[G 1 -[S 2 ] d ] d′ -[G 2 -[S 3 ] e ] e′ -[G 3 -[S 4 ] f ] f′ —S 5 —

wherein:

(i) each G 1 , G 2 , and G 3 is independently chosen for each occurrence from: a divalent group chosen from: an unsubstituted or a substituted aromatic group, an unsubstituted or a substituted alicyclic group, an unsubstituted or a substituted heterocyclic group, and mixtures thereof, wherein substituents are chosen from: thiol, hydroxy(C 1 -C 18 )alkyl, isocyanato(C 1 -C 18 )alkyl, acryloyloxy, acryloyloxy(C 1 -C 18 )alkyl, halogen, C 1 -C 18 alkoxy, poly(C 1 -C 18 alkoxy), amino, amino(C 1 -C 18 )alkylene, C 1 -C 18 alkylamino, di-(C 1 -C 18 )alkylamino, C 1 -C 18 alkyl, C 2 -C 18 alkenyl, C 2 -C 18 alkynyl, C 1 -C 18 alkyl(C 1 -C 18 )alkoxy, C 1 -C 18 alkoxycarbonyl, C 1 -C 18 alkylcarbonyl, C 1 -C 18 alkyloxycarbonyloxy, aryloxycarbonyloxy, perfluoro(C 1 -C 18 )alkylamino, di-(perfluoro(C 1 -C 18 )alkyl)amino, C 1 -C 18 acetyl, C 3 -C 10 cycloalkyl, C 3 -C 10 cycloalkoxy, isocyanato, amido, cyano, nitro, a straight-chain or branched C 1 -C 18 alkyl group that is mono-substituted with cyano, halo, or C 1 -C 18 alkoxy, or poly-substituted with halo, and a group comprising one of the following formulae: -M(T) (t-1) and -M(OT) (t-1) , wherein M is chosen from aluminum, antimony, tantalum, titanium, zirconium and silicon, T is chosen from organofunctional radicals, organofunctional hydrocarbon radicals, aliphatic hydrocarbon radicals and aromatic hydrocarbon radicals, and t is the valence of M;

(ii) c, d, e, and f are each independently chosen from an integer ranging from 0 to 20, inclusive; d′, e′ and f′ are each independently an integer from 0 to 4 provided that a sum of d′+e′+f′ is at least 2; and each S 1 , S 2 , S 3 , S 4 , and S 5 is independently chosen for each occurrence from a spacer unit chosen from:

(A) —(CH 2 ) g —, —(CF 2 ) h —, —Si(CH 2 ) g —, or —(Si(CH 3 ) 2 O) h —, wherein g is independently chosen for each occurrence from 1 to 20 and h is a whole number from 1 to 16 inclusive;

(B) —N(Z)—, —C(Z)═C(Z)—, —C(Z)═N—, —C(Z′) 2 —C(Z′) 2 —, or a single bond, wherein Z is independently chosen for each occurrence from hydrogen, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, cycloalkyl and aryl, and Z′ is independently chosen for each occurrence from C 1 -C 5 alkyl, cycloalkyl and aryl; or

(C) —O—, —C(O)—, —C≡C—, —N═N—, —S—, —S(O)—, —S(O)(O)—, —(O)S(O)O—, —O(O)S(O)O— or straight-chain or branched C 1 -C 24 alkylene residue, said C 1 -C 24 alkylene residue being unsubstituted, mono-substituted by cyano or halo, or poly-substituted by halo;

provided that when two spacer units comprising heteroatoms are linked together the spacer units are linked so that heteroatoms are not directly linked to each other and when S 1 and S 5 are linked to another group, they are linked so that two heteroatoms are not directly linked to each other.

3. The mesogen-containing compound of claim 1 , selected from the following group of compounds:

a) 1-{3-(4-(3-(4-(6-(4-(4-(trans-4-propylcyclohexyl)phenoxycarbonyl)phenoxy)hexyloxy)-4-oxobutanoyloxy)propyloxy)benzoyloxy)propyloxy}-4-{6-(4-(4-(trans-4-propylcyclohexyl)phenoxycarbonyl)phenoxy)hexyloxy)butane-1,4-dione;

b) 2,2′-bis(6-(6-(4-(4-(trans-4-propylcyclohexyl)phenoxycarbonyl)phenoxy)hexanoyloxy)-6-hexanoyloxy)diethylether; and

c) 1-{6-(6-(6-(6-(6-(6-(6-(4-(6-(4-(4-(4-nonylbenzoyloxy)phenoxycarbonyl)phenoxy)hexyloxy)-4-oxobutanoyloxy)hexyloxy)-6-carbonyloxyhexyloxy)-6-carbonyloxyhexyloxy)-6-carbonyloxyhexyloxy)-6-carbonyloxyhexyloxy)-6-carbonyloxyhexyloxy)-6-carbonyloxyhexyloxy}-4-{6-(4-(6-(4-(4-(4-nonylbenzoyloxy)phenoxycarbonyl)phenoxy)hexyloxy}butane-1,4-dione.

4. The mesogen-containing compound of claim 1 , wherein the compound is a liquid crystal compound.

5. A copolymer composition comprising the mesogen-containing compound according to claim 1 .

6. A polymer composition comprising the mesogen-containing compound according to claim 1 .

7. A liquid crystal composition comprising:

a mesogen-containing compound according to claim 1 ; and

optionally a liquid crystal polymer.

8. The composition of claim 7 , wherein the liquid crystal polymer is present and is a block or non-block copolymer comprising the mesogen-containing.

9. The composition of any of claim 7 , further comprising at least one of a photochromic compound, a dichroic compound, a photochromic-dichroic compound, a photosensitive material, a non-photosensitive material, and one or more additives, wherein the one of more additives are chosen from the group consisting of a liquid crystal, a liquid crystal property control additive, a non-linear optical material, a dye, an alignment promoter, a kinetic enhancer, a photoinitiator, a thermal initiator, a surfactant, a polymerization inhibitor, a solvent, a light stabilizer, a thermal stabilizer, a mold release agent, a rheology control agent, a gelator, a leveling agent, a free radical scavenger, a coupling agent, a tilt control additive, a block or non-block polymeric material, and an adhesion promoter.

10. The composition of claim 9 , wherein the at least one photochromic compound or photochromic-dichroic compound is chosen from the group consisting of indeno-fused naphthopyrans, naphtho[1,2-b]pyrans, naphtho[2,1-b]pyrans, spirofluoroeno[1,2-b]pyrans, phenanthropyrans, quinolinopyrans, fluoroanthenopyrans, spiropyrans, benzoxazines, naphthoxazines, spiro(indoline)naphthoxazines, spiro(indoline)pyridobenzoxazines, spiro(indoline)fluoranthenoxazines, spiro(indoline)quinoxazines, fulgides, fulgimides, diarylethenes, diarylalkylethenes, diarylalkenylethenes, non-thermally reversible photochromic compounds, and mixtures thereof.

11. An article of manufacture comprising a mesogen-containing compound according to claim 1 .

12. The article of manufacture of claim 11 , being an optical element comprising:

a substrate; and

an at least partial layer on at least a portion of the substrate, the layer comprising said mesogen-containing compound.

13. The optical element of claim 12 , wherein the at least partial layer is at least partially aligned by exposing at least a portion of the layer to at least one of a magnetic field, an electric field, linearly polarized radiation, and shear force.

14. The optical element of claim 12 , wherein the at least partial layer is adapted to switch from a first state to a second state in response to at least actinic radiation and to revert back to the first state in response to thermal energy.

15. The optical element of claim 14 , wherein the at least partial layer is adapted to linearly polarize at least transmitted radiation in at least one of the first state and the second state.

16. The optical element of claim 12 , wherein the at least partial layer comprises a liquid crystal phase having at least one of a nematic phase, a smectic phase, or a chiral nematic phase.

17. The optical element of claim 12 , wherein the optical element is chosen from an ophthalmic element, a display element; a window; a mirror; and an active and a passive liquid crystal cell element.

18. The optical element of claim 17 wherein the ophthalmic element is chosen from a corrective lens, a non-corrective lens, a contact lens, an intra-ocular lens, a magnifying lens, a protective lens, and a visor.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 11 , being a liquid crystal cell comprising:

a first substrate having a first surface;

a second substrate having a second surface, wherein the second surface of the second substrate is opposite and spaced apart from the first surface of the first substrate so as to define a region; and

said mesogen-containing compound positioned within the region defined by the first surface and the second surface.

20. The liquid crystal cell of claim 19 , further comprising an at least partial layer chosen from linearly polarizing layers, circularly polarizing layers, elliptically polarizing layers, photochromic layers, reflective layers, tinted layers, retarder layers, and wide-angle view layers connected to at least a portion of a surface of at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate.

21. The liquid crystal cell of claim 19 , wherein the cell is a pixelated cell comprising a plurality of regions or compartments.

22. A method of forming an ophthalmic element comprising:

formulating a liquid crystal composition comprising the mesogen-containing compound of claim 1 ;

coating at least a portion of a substrate with the liquid crystal composition;

at least partially aligning at least a portion of the liquid crystal composition in the coating; and

curing the liquid crystal coating layer.