| abstract |
Novel ferroelectric liquid crystals exhibiting a chiral smectic C phase and liquid crystal compositions containing the same are provided, which liquid crystals are substituted biphenyl esters expressed by the general formula <IMAGE> wherein R1* represents an optically active alkyl group of 4 to 18 carbon atoms; <IMAGE> represents <IMAGE> or <IMAGE> Z represents R2, R2CO or R2COO wherein R2 represents an alkyl group or an alkoxy group each of 1 to 18 carbon atoms; and X and Y each represent hydrogen atom (H), bromine atom (Br), chlorine atom (Cl), fluorine atom (F) or cyano group (CN), and either one of X or Y is always hydrogen atom. |