Nematic liquid crystal composition and liquid crystal display element including same

1. A nematic liquid crystal composition comprising at least one compound represented by general formula (I):

wherein in the formula, R 11 and R 12 each represent an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms or an alkenyl group having 2 to 8 carbon atoms, —CH 2 — or nonadjacent two or more —CH 2 —'s in the group may be independently replaced with —O— or —S—, one or two or more hydrogen atoms present in the group may be independently replaced with a fluorine atom or a chlorine atom,

L 11 represents a single bond,

m 11 represents 1,

ring A1 represents a 1,4-phenylene group, ring B1 independently represents a 1,4-phenylene group,

and at least one compound selected from the group consisting of compounds represented by general formulae (IV-1) to (IV-3):

wherein in each of the formulae, R 5 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms or an alkenyl group having 2 to 5 carbon atoms, R 6 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, an alkoxyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, an alkenyl group having 2 to 5 carbon atoms, or an alkenyloxy group having 2 to 5 carbon atoms and wherein the content of compounds represented by general formula (I) is at least 3% by mass.

2. The nematic liquid crystal composition according to claim 1 , further comprising one or two or more compounds represented by general formula (N3):

wherein in the formula, R p and R q each independently represent an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms or an alkenyl group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms; —CH 2 — or two or more nonadjacent —CH 2 —'s present in the group may be independently replaced with —O— or —S—; one or two or more hydrogen atoms present in the group may be replaced with a fluorine atom or a chlorine atom; ring J, ring F, and ring K each independently represent a trans-1,4-cyclohexylene group, a 1,4-phenylene group, a 2-fluoro-1,4-phenylene group, a 3-fluoro-1,4-phenylene group, a 3,5-difluoro-1,4-phenylene group, a 1,4-cyclohexenylene group, a 1,4-bicyclo[2.2.2]octylene group, a piperidine-1,4-diyl group, a naphthalene-2,6-diyl group, a decahydronaphthalene-2,6-diyl group, or a 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene-2,6-diyl group; Z 11 and Z 12 each independently represent —OCH 2 —, —CH 2 O—, —CF 2 O—, —OCF 2 —, —CH 2 CH 2 —, —CF 2 CF 2 —, or a single bond; and when a plurality of Z 11 's and a plurality of Z 12 's are present, they may be the same or different.

3. The nematic liquid crystal composition according to claim 1 , further comprising one or two or more compounds represented by general formula (II):

wherein in the formula, R 21 and R 22 each represent an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms or an alkenyl group having 2 to 8 carbon atoms, —CH 2 — or nonadjacent two or more —CH 2 —'s in the group may be independently replaced with —O— or —S—, one or two or more hydrogen atoms present in the group may be independently replaced with a fluorine atom or a chlorine atom,

L 21 and L 22 each represent —OCH 2 —, —CH 2 O—, —CF 2 O—, —OCF 2 —, —CH 2 CH 2 —, —CF 2 CF 2 —, or a single bond, when a plurality of L 11 's and a plurality of L 22 's are present, they may be the same or different,

m 21 and n 21 each independently represent 0, 1, or 2, m 21 +m m2 represents 1, 2, or 3,

Ring A2 and ring B2 each independently represent a trans-1,4-cyclohexylene group, a 1,4-phenylene group, a 2-fluoro-1,4-phenylene group, a 3-fluoro-1,4-phenylene group, a 3,5-difluoro-1,4-phenylene group, a 2,3-difluoro-1,4-phenylene group, a 1,4-cyclohexenylene group, a 1,4-bicyclo [2.2.2]octylene group, a piperidine-1,4-diyl group, a naphthalene-2,6-diyl group, a decahydronaphthalene-2,6-diyl group, or a 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene-2,6-diyl group, when a plurality of rings A2 and/or a plurality of rings B2 are present, they may be the same or different, and ring A2 and ring B2 may be each independently substituted with an alkyl group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a halogenated alkyl group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a halogenated alkoxy group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a halogen, a cyano group, or a nitro group, provided that none of the compounds represented by formula (I) are included.

4. The nematic liquid crystal composition according to claim 3 , wherein the compound represented by general formula (II) comprises one or two or more compounds represented by general formula (V):

wherein in the formula, R 51 and R 52 each independently represent an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms or an alkenyl group having 2 to 8 carbon atoms, one —CH 2 — or two or more nonadjacent —CH 2 —'s present in the group may be independently replaced with —O— or —S—, and one or two or more hydrogen atoms present in the group may be replaced with a fluorine atom.

5. The nematic liquid crystal composition according to claim 1 , further comprising one or two or more compounds selected from the group consisting of compounds represented by general formulae (Np-1) and (Np-2):

wherein in each of the formulae, R Np1 and R Np2 each independently represent an alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms or an alkenyl group having 2 to 5 carbon atoms, one —CH 2 — or two or more nonadjacent —CH 2 —'s present in the group may be independently replaced with —O— or —S—, one or two or more hydrogen atoms present in the group may be independently replaced with a fluorine atom, and

X Np1 , X Np2 , X Np3 , X Np4 , and X Np5 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a fluorine atom.

6. The nematic liquid crystal composition according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid crystal composition has a dielectric anisotropy (Δε) of −2.0 to −8.0 at 25° C., a refractive index anisotropy (Δn) of 0.08 to 0.14 at 20° C., a viscosity (η) of 5 to 30 mPa·s at 20° C., a rotational viscosity (γ1) of 50 to 150 mPa·s at 20° C., and a nematic-isotropic liquid phase transition temperature (T ni ) of 60° C. to 120° C.

7. The nematic liquid crystal composition according to claim 1 , further comprising one or two or more polymerizable compounds.

8. The nematic liquid crystal composition according to claim 7 , wherein the polymerizable compound is a compound represented by general formula (RM-1):

wherein in the formula, Z M1 and Z M2 each independently represent

wherein X M1 to X M5 each represent hydrogen, fluorine, or

—S M1 —R M1 ,

at least one of X M1 to X M5 represents

—S M1 —R M1

wherein S M1 represents an alkylene group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms or a single bond, —CH 2 — in the alkylene group may be replaced with an oxygen atom, —COO—, —OCO—, or —OCOO—, provided that oxygen atoms are not directly bonded together,

R M1 represents one of formulae (R-1) to (R-15):

L M1 and L M2 each independently represent a single bond, —O—, —CH 2 —, —OCH 2 —, —CH 2 O—, —CO—, —C 2 H 4 —, —COO—, —OCO—, —CH═CH—COO—, —COO—CH═CH—, —OCO—CH═CH—, —CH═CH—OCO—, —COOC 2 H 4 —, —OCOC 2 H 4 —, —C 2 H 4 OCO—, —C 2 H 4 COO—, —OCOCH 2 —, —CH 2 COO—, —CH═CH—, —CF═CH—, —CH═CF—, —CF═CF—, —CF 2 —, —CF 2 O—, —OCF 2 —, —CF 2 CH 2 —, —CH 2 CF 2 —, —CF 2 CF 2 —, or —C≡C—, when a plurality of L M2 's are present, they may be the same or different,

M M1 present represents a 1,4-phenylene group, a 1,4-cyclohexylene group, or a naphthalene-2,6-diyl group, a hydrogen atom in the group may be replaced with a fluorine atom, a chlorine atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, a halogenated alkyl group, a halogenated alkoxy group, an alkoxy group, a nitro group, or

—S M1 —R M1

m M1 represents 0, 1, or 2, and

when X M1 to X M5 , S M1 , R M1 , L M2 , and/or M M1 is present in a plurality, they may be the same or different.

9. A liquid crystal display element comprising the nematic liquid crystal composition according to claim 1 .

10. An active matrix-addressed liquid-crystal display element comprising the nematic liquid crystal composition according to claim 1 .

11. A VA-, PSA-, PSVA-, IPS-, or ECB-mode liquid crystal display element comprising the nematic liquid crystal composition according to claim 1 .

12. The nematic liquid crystal composition according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one compound according to the general formula (I):

wherein in the formula, R 11 and R 12 each represent an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms or an alkenyl group having 2 to 8 carbon atoms, —CH 2 — or nonadjacent two or more —CH 2 —'s in the group may be independently replaced with —O— or —S—, one or two or more hydrogen atoms present in the group may be independently replaced with a fluorine atom or a chlorine atom,

wherein in the formula, R 11 and R 12 each represent an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms or an alkenyl group having 2 to 8 carbon atoms, —CH 2 — or nonadjacent two or more —CH 2 —'s in the group may be independently replaced with —O— or —S—, one or two or more hydrogen atoms present in the group may be independently replaced with a fluorine atom or a chlorine atom,

L 11 represents —OCH 2 —, —CH 2 O—, —CF 2 O—, —OCF 2 —, —CH 2 CH 2 —, —CF 2 CF 2 —, or a single bond, when a plurality of L 11 's are present, they may be the same or different,

m 11 represents 0, 1, or 2,

ring A1 represents a 1,4-phenylene group, ring B1 independently represents a trans-1,4-cyclohexylene group, a 1,4-phenylene group, a 2-fluoro-1,4-phenylene group, a 3-fluoro-1,4-phenylene group, a 3,5-difluoro-1,4-phenylene group, a 2,3-difluoro-1,4-phenylene group, a 1,4-cyclohexenylene group, a 1,4-bicyclo[2.2.2]octylene group, a piperidine-1,4-diyl group, a naphthalene-2,6-diyl, a decahydronaphthalene-2,6-diyl group, or a 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene-2,6-diyl group, when a plurality of rings B1 are present, they may be the same or different, and ring B1 may be substituted with an alkyl group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a halogenated alkyl group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a halogenated alkoxy group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a halogen, a cyano group, or a nitro group, and

excluding a compound wherein when L 11 represents a single bond, m 11 represents 1, ring A1 represents a 1,4-phenylene group, and ring B1 represents a 1,4-phenylene group.

13. The nematic liquid crystal composition according to claim 12 , wherein the content of compounds represented by general formula (I) is 3% to 50% by mass.