Patent ID: 7122227

Claim:
A photoisomerizable chiral compound of formula I wherein X 1 , X 2 , X 3 , X 4 , X 5 and X 6 independently of each other denote H, straight chain or branched alkyl with 1 to 20 C atoms wherein one or more CH 2 groups can also be replaced by —O—, —S—, —CO—, —NR 0 —, —CH═CH—, or —C≡C— in such a manner that O and/or S atoms are not linked directly to one another and wherein one or more H-atoms can also be replaced by F or Cl, or denote an aliphatic or aromatic carbocyclic or heterocyclic group with 3 to 40 C atoms that may also comprise fused and/or substituted rings, or two of X 1 , X 2 , X 3 , X 4 , X 5 and X 6 may also together form an optionally substituted cyclic group with up to 40 C atoms, R 0 is H or alkyl with 1 to 4 C atoms, with the provisos that X 1 ≠X 2 ≠X 3 and X 4 ≠X 5 ≠X 6 and that the compound comprises at least one photoisomerizable group and at least one mesogenic group, or at least one group that is photoisomerizable and mesogenic.