Patent ID: 7425281

Claim:
A liquid crystal composition comprising at least two different compounds, wherein at least one of the compounds is an organogermanium compound of the formula: D-E-F; wherein D is a chain having from about 5 to about 20 chain atoms, wherein each of the chain atoms is independently selected from the group consisting of C, O, N, S, and Si; E is a core moiety having two, three, or four ring moieties, wherein each ring moiety is connected to the other ring moiety by a linker, and wherein each linker is independently comprised of from 0 to about 5 chain atoms; F is a moiety of the formula: —[Y] b -R 3 —[Si(R 4 ) 2 ] c —R 5 —GeR 6 R 7 R 8 wherein each of b and c is independently 0 or 1; Y is O, S, C(═W),-Z-C(═W)—; —C(═W)-Z-, —C≡C—, or NR 2 ; W is O or S; Z is O, S or NR 9 ; each of R 2 and R 9 is independently hydrogen, alkyl, or a nitrogen protecting group; each of R 3 and R 5 is independently selected from the group consisting of alkylene, haloalkylene, heteroalkylene, alkenylene, alkynylene, heteroalkenylene, and heteroalkynylene; each R 4 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen or C 1-4 alkyl; and each of R 6 , R 7 , and R 8 is independently C 1-4 alkyl.