| abstract |
To provide a novel compound which satisfies characteristics required for an optical anisotropic material and which is excellent in durability against blue laser light, a liquid crystal composition containing the compound, an optical anisotropic material employing the liquid crystal composition and an optical element. A compound represented by the following formula (1): n nCH 2 ═CR 1 —COO—(L) k -E 1 -E 2 -E 3 -(E 4 ) m -(E 5 ) n -R 2 (1) nprovided that the symbols in the formula have the following meanings: n R 1 : a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; R 2 : a C 1-8 alkyl group; L: —(CH 2 ) p O—, —(CH 2 ) q —, -Cy-COO— (Cy is a trans-1,4-cyclohexylene group), -Cy-OCO—, -E 6 -(CH 2 ) 2 —, -E 7 -CH 2 O— or -E 8 -O— (wherein each of p and q which are independent of each other, is an integer of from 2 to 8); E 1 , E 2 , E 3 E 4 , E 5 , E 6 , E 7 , E 8 : each independently a 1,4-pheneylene group or a trans-1,4-cyclohexylene group (provided that at least one of E 1 , E 2 and E 3 is a trans-1,4-cyclohexylene group, and in a case where L is -Cy-OCO—, E 1 is a trans-1,4-cyclohexylene group), provided that the above 1,4-phenylene group and trans-1,4-cyclohexylene group may be such that a hydrogen atom bonded to a carbon atom in each group may be substituted by a fluorine atom, a chlorine atom or a methyl group; and k, m, n: each independently 0 or 1, provided that when k is 1 and L is -Cy-COO—, -Cy-OCO—, -E 6 -(CH 2 ) 2 —, -E 7 -CH 2 O— or -E 8 -O—, at least one of m and n is 0. |