Disubstituted ethanes and their use in liquid crystal materials and devices

摘要

A fluorinated compound having a formula: <IMAGE> I wherein: <IMAGE> R1 is hydrogen or alkyl having up to 12 carbon atoms; R2 is selected from hydrogen, alkyl having up to 12 carbon atoms, alkoxy having up to 12 carbon atoms, <IMAGE> +TR <IMAGE> wherein R3 is hydrogen or alkyl having up to 12 carbon atoms, and wherein R4 is hydrogen, alkyl having up to 12 carbon atoms or alkoxy having up to 12 carbon atoms; <IMAGE> represents a cyclohexane ring which is in the trans configuration if 1, 4-disubstituted; <IMAGE> represents a benzene ring; each of X, Y and Z independently represents hydrogen or fluorine in one or more of the lateral benzene ring positions, provided that at least one of X, Y and Z is present representing fluorine; n=0 or 1 provided that when n=0 <IMAGE> and R1 is alkyl; with the proviso that in Formula I when n is 1 and <IMAGE> where R1 is n-alkyl and R2 is n-alkyl or n-alkoxy the total number of carbon plus oxygen atoms in the two groups R1 and R2 is less than 10.