A cyanoaryl substituted compound of formula wherein m is 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4; each R 1 independently from each other is selected from the group consisting of bromine, chlorine, cyano, -NR a R b, C 1 -C 24 -alkyl, C 1 -C 24 -haloalkyl, C 1 -C 24 -alkoxy, C 1 -C 24 -haloalkoxy, C 3 -C 24 -cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, heteroaryl, C 6 -C 10 -aryl, C 6 -C 10 -aryloxy, C 6 -C 10 -aryl-C 1 -C 10 -alkylene, where the rings of cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, heteroaryl, aryl, aryloxy and aryl-alkylene in the six last-mentioned radicals are unsubstituted or substituted with 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 identical or different radicals R 1a and where C 1 -C 24 -alkyl, C 1 -C 24 -haloalkyl, C 1 -C 24 -alkoxy, and the alkylene moiety of C 5 -C 10 -aryl-C 1 -C 10 -alkylene may be interrupted by one or more groups selected from the group consisting of O, S and NR c; R 2, R 3, R 4 and R 5 are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, chlorine, bromine and C 5 -C 10 -aryl, which carries one, two or three cyano groups; with the proviso that at least one of the radicals R 1, R 2, R 3, R 4 and R 5 is C 6 -C 10 -aryl, which carries one, two or three cyano groups; X is O, S, SO or SO 2; A is a diradical selected from the group consisting of diradicals of the general formulae (A.1) and (A.2), wherein * in each case denotes the point of attachments to the remainder of the molecule; R 6 is hydrogen, C 1 -C 24 -alkyl, C 1 -C 24 -haloalkyl, C 3 -C 24 -cycloalkyl, C 6 -C 10 -aryl or C 6 -C 10 -aryl-C 1 -C 10 -alkylene, where the rings of cycloalkyl, aryl, and aryl-alkylene in the three last-mentioned radicals are unsubstituted or substituted with 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 identical or different radicals R 6a, and where C 1 -C 24 -alkyl, C 1 -C 24 -haloalkyl and the alkylene moiety of C 6 -C 10 -aryl-C 1 -C 10 -alkylene may be interrupted by one or more heteroatoms or heteroatomic groups selected from the group consisting of O, S and NR c; R 1a, R 6a, are independently of one another selected from the group consisting of C 1 -C 24 -alkyl, C 1 -C 24 -fluoroalkyl, C 1 -C 24 -alkoxy, fluorine, chlorine, bromine and cyano; R a, R b, R c are independently of one another selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C 1 -C 20 -alkyl, C 3 -C 24 -cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, hetaryl and C 5 -C 10 -aryl. m is 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4; each R 1 independently from each other is selected from the group consisting of bromine, chlorine, cyano, -NR a R b, C 1 -C 24 -alkyl, C 1 -C 24 -haloalkyl, C 1 -C 24 -alkoxy, C 1 -C 24 -haloalkoxy, C 3 -C 24 -cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, heteroaryl, C 6 -C 10 -aryl, C 6 -C 10 -aryloxy, C 6 -C 10 -aryl-C 1 -C 10 -alkylene, where the rings of cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, heteroaryl, aryl, aryloxy and aryl-alkylene in the six last-mentioned radicals are unsubstituted or substituted with 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 identical or different radicals R 1a and where C 1 -C 24 -alkyl, C 1 -C 24 -haloalkyl, C 1 -C 24 -alkoxy, and the alkylene moiety of C 5 -C 10 -aryl-C 1 -C 10 -alkylene may be interrupted by one or more groups selected from the group consisting of O, S and NR c; R 2, R 3, R 4 and R 5 are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, chlorine, bromine and C 5 -C 10 -aryl, which carries one, two or three cyano groups; X is O, S, SO or SO 2; A is a diradical selected from the group consisting of diradicals of the general formulae (A.1) and (A.2), * in each case denotes the point of attachments to the remainder of the molecule; R 6 is hydrogen, C 1 -C 24 -alkyl, C 1 -C 24 -haloalkyl, C 3 -C 24 -cycloalkyl, C 6 -C 10 -aryl or C 6 -C 10 -aryl-C 1 -C 10 -alkylene, where the rings of cycloalkyl, aryl, and aryl-alkylene in the three last-mentioned radicals are unsubstituted or substituted with 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 identical or different radicals R 6a, and where C 1 -C 24 -alkyl, C 1 -C 24 -haloalkyl and the alkylene moiety of C 6 -C 10 -aryl-C 1 -C 10 -alkylene may be interrupted by one or more heteroatoms or heteroatomic groups selected from the group consisting of O, S and NR c; R 1a, R 6a, are independently of one another selected from the group consisting of C 1 -C 24 -alkyl, C 1 -C 24 -fluoroalkyl, C 1 -C 24 -alkoxy, fluorine, chlorine, bromine and cyano; R a, R b, R c are independently of one another selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C 1 -C 20 -alkyl, C 3 -C 24 -cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, hetaryl and C 5 -C 10 -aryl.