| abstract |
PCT No. PCT/JP97/04328 Sec. 371 Date May 28, 1999 Sec. 102(e) Date May 28, 1999 PCT Filed Nov. 27, 1997 PCT Pub. No. WO98/23583 PCT Pub. Date Jun. 4, 1998Liquid crystalline compounds having a wide temperature range of liquid crystal phase, a high dielectric anisotropy, and a high optical anisotropy; and liquid crystal compositions and display devices containing the composition. The liquid crystalline compounds are conjugated nitrile derivatives expressed by the formula (1) wherein R represents an alkyl group or a fluoroalkyl group each having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, halogen atom, or cyano group provided that in the alkyl or fluoroalkyl group, one or not-adjacent two or more methylene or fluoromethylene groups may be replaced by oxygen atom or 1,2-ethenylene group; A1, A2, A3 and A4 represent 1,4-cyclohexylene group, 1,4-phenylene in which one or two hydrogen atoms on the ring may be replaced by fluorine atom, 1,3-dioxane-2,5-diyl, or pyrimidine-2,5-diyl; B1, B2, and B3 independently represent a covalent bond, 1,2-ethylene group, 1,2-ethenylene group, 1,2-ethynylene group, carbonyloxy group, methylenoxy group, or 1,4-butylene group; m, n, and p are 0 or 1; and G represents a group expressed by the formula |