Patent ID: 8444877

Claim:
A compound having the formula: where wherein one or more hydrogen atoms on the A ring may be replaced with one or more halogen atoms; R 1 and R 2 , independently of one another, are selected from the group consisting of: H and unsubstituted or monosubstituted alkyl having 1-12 carbon atoms, wherein substitution is halogen or CN, wherein one or more CH 2 groups of the alkyl group may be independently replaced by —O—, —S—, —CO—, —CO—O—, —O—CO—, —O—CO—O— or —CH═CH—, provided that heteroatoms are not directly connected; B and C are each independently selected from the group consisting of: 1,4-cyclohexene, cyclohexenyl, 1,4-phenyl, 1,3-dioxan-5,2-diyl, Pyridin-5,2-dyl, pyrimidin-5,2-diyl, naphthalene-2,6-diyl, trans-decahydronaphthalene-2,6-diyl, tetrahydronaphthalene-2,6-diyl, indeneyl, phenanthryl, and dibenzo[b,d]furan; in which one or more hydrogen atoms in any ring structure may be independently replaced by one or more halogen atoms; Z1 is a single bond or —(CH 2 ) k —, where k is an integer from 1 to 8; and wherein one or more hydrogen atoms may be replaced by halogen or CN, and one or more CH 2 groups may be independently replaced by —O—, —S—, —CO—, —CO—O—, —O—CO—, —O—CO—O—, —CH═CH—, or —C≡C—, provided that heteroatoms are not directly connected; Z2, and Z3 are each independently selected from the group consisting of: a single bond, —(CH 2 ) 2 —, —(CH 2 ) 4 —, —CH═CHCH 2 CH 2 —, —CH 2 CH 2 CH═CH—, CF 2 O, OCF 2 , CF 2 CF 2 , CF═CF, CH 2 CF 2 , CF 2 CH 2 , OCF2CF2O, C2H4CF2O, CH 2 O, OCH 2 , —CH═CH—, —C≡C—, and COO; K=0,1; n and m are independently 0, 1, or 2; wherein K+n+m≧2; X1, X2, X3 and X4 are independently in each instance selected from the group consisting of: H, F, Cl, CF 3 , CHF 2 , and CN; Y is selected from the group consisting of: H, F, Cl, CN, NCS, OCHF 2 , CHF 2 , OCF 3 , CF 3 , C 1-20 alkyl, C 1-20 alkoxy, C 1-20 alkenyl, and C 1-20 alkenyloxy wherein one or more hydrogen atoms in the alkyl, alkoxy, alkenyl, alkenyloxy groups may be independently substituted by one or more halogen atoms; and where one or more hydrogen atoms may be replaced with deuterium; provided that the linker between the A ring and the next ring is not —OC(═O)—; —OCH 2 —; or —CH 2 CH 2 — and provided that when A is the linker between the A ring and the next ring is not —C n H 2n O—, where n is 5 to 20; and provided that when A is Y is selected from F, Cl, CN, NCS.