Liquid crystal composition production thereof, and liquid crystal element made therewith

摘要

Disclosed herein are a liquid crystal composition which has a low viscosity and exhibits a high response speed while keeping the characteristic properties (e.g., orientation and switching performance) required of liquid crystal materials, a liquid crystal element based on said liquid crystal composition, and a process for producing said liquid crystal composition. The liquid crystal composition contains a clathrate compound of liquid crystal molecules with cyclodextrin or a derivative thereof. The clathrate compound functions to increase the free volume of liquid crystal molecules. The liquid crystal composition is prepared by dissolving in a solvent a liquid crystal and cyclodextrin (or a derivative thereof), thereby forming a clathrate compound and adding this clathrate compound to a base liquid crystal material. <IMAGE> <IMAGE>