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

1. A polymerizable compound-containing liquid crystal composition comprising, as a first component, at least one polymerizable compound represented by general formula (I):

wherein R 1 and R 2 each independently represent any of formulae (R-1) to (R-15) below,

and X 1 to X 12 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a trifluoromethyl group, a trifluoromethoxy group, a methyl group, a chlorine atom, or a fluorine atom; as a second component, at least one compound represented by general formula (II):

wherein R 3 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms or an alkenyl group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, in which at least one hydrogen atom present in the group may be substituted by a fluorine atom, and R 4 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkenyl group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, or an alkenyloxy group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, in which at least one hydrogen atom present in the group may be substituted by a fluorine atom; as a third component, at least one compound represented by general formula (III):

wherein R 5 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms or an alkenyl group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, in which at least one hydrogen atom present in the group may be substituted by a fluorine atom, and R 6 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkenyl group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, or an alkenyloxy group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, in which at least one hydrogen atom present in the group may be substituted by a fluorine atom; and as a fourth component, at least one compound represented by general formula (IV):

wherein R 7 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms or an alkenyl group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, in which at least one hydrogen atom present in the group may be substituted by a fluorine atom, and R 8 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkenyl group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, or an alkenyloxy group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, in which at least one hydrogen atom present in the group may be substituted by a fluorine atom.

2. The polymerizable compound-containing liquid crystal composition according to claim 1 , comprising, as the first component, at least one compound of the general formula (I) wherein at least one of X 1 to X 12 is a trifluoromethyl group, a trifluoromethoxy group, a methyl group, a chlorine atom, or a fluorine atom.

3. The polymerizable compound-containing liquid crystal composition according to claim 1 , comprising, as the first component, at least one compound of the general formula (I) wherein at least one of X 1 to X 12 is a methyl group or a fluorine atom.

4. The polymerizable compound-containing liquid crystal composition according to claim 1 , comprising, as the first component, at least one polymerizable compound selected from those represented by general formulae (I-1) to (I-5):

(wherein R 1 represents the same as in claim 1 , and R 2 represents the same as in claim 1 ).

5. The polymerizable compound-containing liquid crystal composition according to claim 1 , comprising, as the second component, at least one compound of the general formula (II) wherein R 3 is a linear alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, and R 4 is a linear alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms or a linear alkoxy group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms.

6. The polymerizable compound-containing liquid crystal composition according to claim 1 , comprising, as the third component, at least one compound of the general formula (III) wherein R 5 is a linear alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, and R 6 is a linear alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms or a linear alkoxy group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms.

7. The polymerizable compound-containing liquid crystal composition according to claim 1 , comprising, as the fourth component, at least one compound of the general formula (IV) wherein R 7 is a linear alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, and R 8 is a linear alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms or a linear alkoxy group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms.

8. The polymerizable compound-containing liquid crystal composition according to claim 1 , wherein the content of the first component is 0.01% by mass to 2.0% by mass.

9. The polymerizable compound-containing liquid crystal composition according to claim 1 comprising, as the first component, a compound of the general formula (I) wherein R 1 and R 2 each independently represent the general formula (R-1) or (R-2).

10. The polymerizable compound-containing liquid crystal composition according to claim 1 , wherein a dielectric constant anisotropy (Δ∈) at 25° C. is in a range of −2.0 to −6.0, a refractive index anisotropy (Δn) at 25° C. is in a range of 0.08 to 0.13, a viscosity (η) at 20° C. is in a range of 10 to 30 mPa·s, and a nematic-isotropic liquid phase transition temperature (T ni ) is in a range of 60° C. to 120° C.

11. A liquid crystal display device comprising the polymerizable compound-containing liquid crystal composition according to claim 1 .

12. An active matrix-driven liquid crystal display device comprising the polymerizable compound-containing liquid crystal composition according to any one of claim 1 .

13. A liquid crystal display device of a VA mode, PSVA mode, IPS mode, or ECB mode comprising the polymerizable compound-containing liquid crystal composition according to any one of claim 1 .

14. The polymerizable compound-containing liquid crystal composition according to claim 2 , comprising, as the third component, at least one compound of the general formula (III) wherein R 5 is a linear alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, and R 6 is a linear alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms or a linear alkoxy group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms.

15. The polymerizable compound-containing liquid crystal composition according to claim 3 , comprising, as the third component, at least one compound of the general formula (III) wherein R 5 is a linear alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, and R 6 is a linear alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms or a linear alkoxy group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms.

16. The polymerizable compound-containing liquid crystal composition according to claim 4 , comprising, as the third component, at least one compound of the general formula (III) wherein R 5 is a linear alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, and R 6 is a linear alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms or a linear alkoxy group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms.

17. The polymerizable compound-containing liquid crystal composition according to claim 5 , comprising, as the third component, at least one compound of the general formula (III) wherein R 5 is a linear alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, and R 6 is a linear alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms or a linear alkoxy group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms.