Polymerisable compounds comprising a mesogenic group and one or more polymerisable groups, wherein at least one of said polymerisable groups is linked to said mesogenic group via an optionally substituted spacer group that is linked linked to said mesogenic group via the carbonyl portion of a carbonyloxy group, wherein the polymerisable compounds are selected of formula I P 1 -Sp 1 -(O-CO) x -(A 1 -Z 1) m -A 2 -(CO-O) y -Sp 2 -P 2 I in which the individual radicals have the following meanings Sp 1 and Sp 2 independently of each other denote a spacer group which is optionally substituted by P 1 -Sp'-, or a single bond, wherein if x is 1 then Sp 1 is not single bond and if y is 1 then Sp 2 is not a single bond, Sp' is alkylene with 1 to 12 C atoms, P 1 and P 2 independently of each other denote a polymerisable group, A 1, A 2 independently of each other, and on each occurrence identically or differently, denote 1,4-phenylene, 1,3-phenylene, 1,2-phenylene or naphthalene-2,6-diyl which is optionally mono- or polysubstituted by L, Z 1 denotes a single bond, L denotes P 1 -, P 1 -Sp 1 -, P 1 -Sp 1 -(O-CO) x -, F, Cl, Br, I, -CN,-NO 2, -NCO, -NCS, -OCN, -SCN, -C(=O)N(R x) 2, -C(=O)Y 1, -C(=O)R x, -N(R x) 2, optionally substituted silyl, optionally substituted aryl or heteroaryl having 5 to 20 ring atoms, or straight-chain or branched alkyl having 1 to 25, particularly preferably 1 to 10, C atoms, in which, in addition, one or more non-adjacent CH 2 groups may each be replaced, independently of one another, by -C(R 00)=C(R 000)-, -C=C-, -N(R 00)-, -O-, -S-, -CO-, -CO-O-, -O-CO-, -O-CO-O- in such a way that O and/or S atoms are not linked directly to one another, and in which, in addition, one or more H atoms may be replaced by F, Cl, CN, P 1, P 1 -Sp 1 - or P 1 -Sp 1 -(O-CO) x -, R 00 and R 000 each, independently of one another, denote H or alkyl having 1 to 12 C atoms, Y 1 is halogen, R x denotes P 1, P 1 -Sp 1 -, P 1 -(Sp 1 -O-CO) x -, H, halogen, straight chain, branched or cyclic alkyl having 1 to 25 C atoms, wherein one or more non-adjacent CH 2 -groups are optionally replaced by -O-, -S-, -CO-, -CO-O-, -O-CO-, -O-CO-O- in such a manner that O- and/or S-atoms are not directly connected with each other, and wherein one or more H atoms are optionally replaced by F, Cl, P 1 -, P 1 -Sp 1 - or P 1 -(Sp 1 -O-CO) x -, optionally substituted aryl, aryloxy, heteroaryl or heteroaryloxy having 5 to 20 ring atoms, m is 1, 2, 3 or 4, x and y independently of each other, and on each occurrence identically or differently, denote 0 or 1, characterized in that at least one of x and y is 1. Sp 1 and Sp 2 independently of each other denote a spacer group which is optionally substituted by P 1 -Sp'-, or a single bond, wherein if x is 1 then Sp 1 is not single bond and if y is 1 then Sp 2 is not a single bond, Sp' is alkylene with 1 to 12 C atoms, P 1 and P 2 independently of each other denote a polymerisable group, A 1, A 2 independently of each other, and on each occurrence identically or differently, denote 1,4-phenylene, 1,3-phenylene, 1,2-phenylene or naphthalene-2,6-diyl which is optionally mono- or polysubstituted by L, Z 1 denotes a single bond, L denotes P 1 -, P 1 -Sp 1 -, P 1 -Sp 1 -(O-CO) x -, F, Cl, Br, I, -CN,-NO 2, -NCO, -NCS, -OCN, -SCN, -C(=O)N(R x) 2, -C(=O)Y 1, -C(=O)R x, -N(R x) 2, optionally substituted silyl, optionally substituted aryl or heteroaryl having 5 to 20 ring atoms, or straight-chain or branched alkyl having 1 to 25, particularly preferably 1 to 10, C atoms, in which, in addition, one or more non-adjacent CH 2 groups may each be replaced, independently of one another, by -C(R 00)=C(R 000)-, -C=C-, -N(R 00)-, -O-, -S-, -CO-, -CO-O-, -O-CO-, -O-CO-O- in such a way that O and/or S atoms are not linked directly to one another, and in which, in addition, one or more H atoms may be replaced by F, Cl, CN, P 1, P 1 -Sp 1 - or P 1 -Sp 1 -(O-CO) x -, R 00 and R 000 each, independently of one another, denote H or alkyl having 1 to 12 C atoms, Y 1 is halogen, R x denotes P 1, P 1 -Sp 1 -, P 1 -(Sp 1 -O-CO) x -, H, halogen, straight chain, branched or cyclic alkyl having 1 to 25 C atoms, wherein one or more non-adjacent CH 2 -groups are optionally replaced by -O-, -S-, -CO-, -CO-O-, -O-CO-, -O-CO-O- in such a manner that O- and/or S-atoms are not directly connected with each other, and wherein one or more H atoms are optionally replaced by F, Cl, P 1 -, P 1 -Sp 1 - or P 1 -(Sp 1 -O-CO) x -, optionally substituted aryl, aryloxy, heteroaryl or heteroaryloxy having 5 to 20 ring atoms, m is 1, 2, 3 or 4, x and y independently of each other, and on each occurrence identically or differently, denote 0 or 1,