Liquid crystal silanes

Claim 1

A liquid crystal compound of the general formula ##STR48## wherein y is an integer having a value of from 1 to 3; x is an integer having a value of from 0 to 2; the sum of x and y is 3 M is methoxy, ethoxy, chloro or dimethylamino; R' is hydrogen, methyl or ethyl; G is alkylene having from 2 to 4 carbon atoms, or arylene or aralkylene having from 6 to 8 carbon atoms; E is --O-- or --NH--; and Z is a group of the formula: ##STR49## wherein R b is an unsubstituted or substituted phenyl, fluorenyl, fluorenonyl or anthracenyl group; R c is an unsubstituted or substituted phenyl group; wherein the substituents on said groups can be chloro, nitro, methylthio, bromo, iodo, tertiary amino, acyl having from 2 to 12 carbon atoms, dialkylamino in which the alkyl group has from 1 to 5 carbon atoms, alkoxy having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, alkyl having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, cyano, esters which may contain substituted aryl or aralkyl moieties of from 1 to 12 carbon atoms or carbonates containing an alkyl group of from 1 to 10 carbon atoms.