Patent ID: 8628685

Claim:
A mesogen-containing compound represented by one of the following structures: wherein, a) each X is independently: i) a group R, ii) a group represented by -(L) y -R, iii) a group represented by -(L)-R, iv) a group represented by or v) a group represented by -(L) y -P; b) each P is a independently chosen from hydrogen, aryl, alkyl, alkoxy, alkylalkoxy, alkoxyalkoxy, polyalkylether, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl (C 1 -C 6 )-alkoxy (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, polyethyleneoxy and polypropyleneoxy; c) each L is independently chosen for each occurrence, the same or different, from a single bond, a polysubstituted, monosubstituted, unsubstituted or branched spacer independently chosen from arylene, (C 1 -C 30 )alkylene, (C 1 -C 30 )alkylenecarbonyloxy, (C 1 -C 30 )alkyleneamino, (C 1 -C 30 )alkyleneoxy, (C 1 -C 30 )perfluoroalkylene, (C 1 -C 30 )perfluoroalkyleneoxy, (C 1 -C 30 )alkylenesilyl, (C 1 -C 30 )dialkylenesiloxyl, (C 1 -C 30 )alkylenecarbonyl, (C 1 -C 30 )alkyleneoxycarbonyl, (C 1 -C 30 )alkylenecarbonylamino, (C 1 -C 30 )alkyleneaminocarbonyl, (C 1 -C 30 )alkyleneaminocarbonyloxy, (C 1 -C 30 )alkyleneaminocarbonylamino, (C 1 -C 30 )alkyleneurea, (C 1 -C 30 )alkylenethiocarbonylamino, (C 1 -C 30 )alkyleneaminocarbonylthio, (C 2 -C 30 )alkenylene, (C 1 -C 30 )thioalkylene, (C 1 -C 30 )alkylenesulfone, or (C 1 -C 30 )alkylenesulfoxide, wherein each substituent is independently chosen from (C 1 -C 5 )alkyl, (C 1 -C 5 )alkoxy, fluoro, chloro, bromo, cyano, (C 1 -C 5 )alkanoate ester, isocyanato, thiolsocyanato, or phenyl; d) the group R is selected from hydrogen, C 1 -C 18 alkyl, C 1 -C 18 alkoxy, C 1 -C 18 alkoxycarbonyl, C 3 -C 10 cycloalkyl, C 3 -C 10 cycloalkoxy, poly(C 1 -C 18 alkoxy), or a straight-chain or branched C 1 -C 18 alkyl group that is unsubstituted or substituted with cyano, fluoro, chloro, bromo, or C 1 -C 18 alkoxy, or poly-substituted with fluoro, chloro, or bromo; and e) the groups Mesogen-1 and Mesogen-2 are each independently a rigid straight rod-like liquid crystal group, a rigid bent rod-like liquid crystal group, or a rigid disc-like liquid crystal group; wherein w is an integer from 1 to 26, y is an integer from 2 to 25, z is 1 or 2, provided that when: (i) the group X is represented by R, then w is an integer from 2 to 25, and z is 1; (ii) the group X is represented by -(L) y -R, then w is 1, y is an integer from 2 to 25, and z is 1; (iii) the group X is represented by -(L) w -R, then w is an integer from 3 to 26, and z is 2; (iv) the group X is represented by then w is 1, y is an integer from 2 to 25, with the proviso that -(L) y -comprises at least two groups L that are different from a single bond and z is 1; (v) the group X is represented by -(L) y -P, then w is 1, y is an integer from 2 to 25, and z is 1 and -(L) y -comprises a linear sequence of at least 25 bonds between the mesogen and P; and in -(L) y - and -(L) w -no two arylene groups are linked by a single bond.