Nematic liquid crystal composition and liquid crystal display device using the same

1. A liquid crystal composition having a negative dielectric anisotropy, the composition comprising a first component that is at least one compound represented by General Formula (i)

(where R i1 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, and R i2 represents an alkyl group having 3 to 8 carbon atoms) and

a second component that is at least e compound selected from compounds represented by General Formula (L)

(where R L1 and R L2 each independently represent an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms; in the alkyl group, one —CH 2 — or at least two —CH 2 -'s not adjoining each other are each independently optionally substituted with —CH═CH—, —C≡C—, —O—, —CO—, —COO—, or —OCO—;

n L1 represents 0, 1, 2, or 3;

A L1 , A L2 , and A L3 each independently represent a group selected from the group consisting of

(a) a 1,4-cyclohexylene group (in which one —CH 2 — or at least two —CH 2 —'s not adjoining each other are each optionally substituted with —O—),

(b) a 1,4-phenylene group (in which one —CH═ or at least two —CH═'s not adjoining each other are each optionally substituted with —N═), and

(c) a naphthalene-2,6-diyl group, a 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene-2,6-diyl group, or a decahydronaphthalene-2,6-diyl group (in the naphthalene-2,6-diyl group or the 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene-2,6-diyl group, one —CH═ or at least two —CH═'s not adjoining each other are each optionally substituted with —N═);

the groups (a) to (c) are each independently optionally substituted with a cyano group, a fluorine atom, or a chlorine atom;

Z L1 and Z L2 each independently represent a single bond, —CH 2 CH 2 —, —(CH 2 ) 4 —, —OCH 2 —, —CH 2 O—, —COO—, —OCO—, —OCF 2 —, —CF 2 O—, —CH═N—N═CH—, —CH═CH—, —CF═CF—, or —C≡C—;

in the case where n L1 is 2 or 3 and where A L2 is multiple, the multiple A L2 's may be the same as or different from each other; in the case where n L1 is 2 or 3 and where Z L3 is multiple, the multiple Z L3 's may be the same as or different from each other; and the compound represented by General Formula (L) excludes the compound represented by General Formula (i)).

2. The liquid crystal composition according to claim 1 , wherein at least one compound selected from compounds represented by General Formula (L-1) is used as the second component

(where R L11 , R L12 , A L12 , and A L13 independently have the same meanings as R L1 , R L2 , A L2 , and A L3 in General Formula (L), respectively; and n L11 represents 0 or 1).

3. The liquid crystal composition according to claim 1 , further comprising a third component that is at least one compound selected from compounds represented by General Formulae (N-1), (N-2), and (N-3)

(where R N11 , R N12 , R N21 , R N22 , R N31 , and R N32 each independently represent an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms; in the alkyl group, one —CH 2 — or two or more —CH 2 —'s not adjoining each other are each independently optionally substituted with —CH═CH—, —C≡C—, —O—, —CO—, —COO—, or —OCO—;

A N11 , A N12 , A N21 , A N22 , A N31 , and A N32 each independently represent a group selected from the group consisting of

(a) a 1,4-cyclohexylene group (in which one —CH 2 — or two or more —CH 2 —'s not adjoining each other are each optionally substituted with —O—),

(b) a 1,4-phenylene group (in which one —CH═ or two or more —CH═'s not adjoining each other are each optionally substituted with —N═), and

(c) (c) a naphthalene-2,6-diyl group, a 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene-2,6-diyl group, or a decahydronaphthalene-2,6-diyl group (in the naphthalene-2,6-diyl group or the 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene-2,6-diyl group, one —CH═ or two or more —CH═'s not adjoining each other are each optionally substituted with —N═);

the groups (a) to (c) are each independently optionally substituted with a cyano group, a fluorine atom, or a chlorine atom;

Z N11 , Z N12 , Z N21 , Z N22 , Z N31 , and Z N32 each independently represent a single bond, —CH 2 CH 2 —, —(CH 2 ) 4 —, —OCH 2 —, —CH 2 O—, —COO—, —OCO—, —OCF 2 —, —CF 2 O—, —CH═N—N═CH—, —CH═CH—, —CF═CF—, or —C≡C—;

X N21 represents a hydrogen atom or a fluorine atom;

T N31 represents —CH 2 — or an oxygen atom;

n N11 , n N12 , n N21 , n N22 , n N31 , and n N32 each independently represent an integer from 0 to 3; n N11 +n N12 , n N21 +n N22 , and n N31 +n N32 are each independently 1, 2, or 3; in the case where A N11 to A N32 and Z N11 to Z N32 are multiple, the corresponding ones of them may be the same as or different from each other).

4. The liquid crystal composition according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one polymerizable compound.

5. The liquid crystal composition according to claim 4 , wherein at least one polymerizable compound represented by General Formula (X) is used as the polymerizable compound

(where X 21 and X 22 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; Sp 21 and Sp 22 each independently represent a single bond, an alkylene group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, or —Y—(CH 2 ) s — (where s represents an integer from 2 to 7; Y represents O, OCOO, or COO; and Y is bonded to the aromatic ring of U)); U represents a linear or branched polyvalent alkylene group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, a linear or branched polyvalent alkenylene group having 3 to 20 carbon atoms, or a polyvalent cyclic substituent having 5 to 30 carbon atoms; the alkylene group of the polyvalent alkylene group or the alkenylene group of the polyvalent alkenylene group is optionally substituted with —O—, —CO—, —CF 2 —, an alkyl group having 5 to 20 carbon atoms (in which the alkylene group is optionally substituted with an oxygen atom provided that oxygen atoms do not adjoin each other), or a cyclic substituent provided that oxygen atoms do not adjoin each other; and k represents an integer from 1 to 5).

6. A liquid crystal display device comprising the liquid crystal composition according to claim 1 .

7. An active-matrix liquid crystal display device comprising the liquid crystal composition according to claim 1 .

8. A liquid crystal display device of any of VA, PSA, PSVA, IPS, and FFS modes, the device comprising the liquid crystal composition according to claim 1 .