The present invention relates to a polymer composition which contains (A) a photosensitive side-chain polymer that exhibits liquid crystallinity in a predetermined temperature range and has a repeating unit comprising a vertically aligning group, and (B) an organic solvent. The present invention provides: a liquid crystal alignment film which has excellent tilt angle characteristics, while being provided with alignment controllability with high efficiency; a polymer composition which enables the achievement of this liquid crystal alignment film; a twisted nematic liquid crystal display element; and a vertical field switching mode liquid crystal display element.

In various embodiments, the present invention provides a strong, synthetic elastomer materials (and related methods for making same) with mechanical properties that are controlled by the stereochemically-defined double bonds within their backbone, yet have physical properties that are derived from monomer selection and defined, modifiable, chain end groups. The use of the organocatalyzed, stereospecific addition of thiols to activated alkynes, affords isolated high molar mass materials (>100 kDa) via step-growth polymerization with high levels of cis- or trans-double bond content. Furthermore, in various aspects of the present invention, it has been found that changing the monomer composition and chain end groups provides additional control over the materials' physical properties to provide more efficient compounding with polar additives. Using this approach to elastomer synthesis, further end group modification and toughening through various vulcanization strategies are also possible.

In various embodiments, the present invention provides a strong, synthetic elastomer materials (and related methods for making same) with mechanical properties that are controlled by the stereochemically-defined double bonds within their backbone, yet have physical properties that are derived from monomer selection and defined, modifiable, chain end groups. The use of the organocatalyzed, stereospecific addition of thiols to activated alkynes, affords isolated high molar mass materials (>100 kDa) via step-growth polymerization with high levels of cis- or trans-double bond content. Furthermore, in various aspects of the present invention, it has been found that changing the monomer composition and chain end groups provides additional control over the materials' physical properties to provide more efficient compounding with polar additives. Using this approach to elastomer synthesis, further end group modification and toughening through various vulcanization strategies are also possible.

In various embodiments, the present invention provides a strong, synthetic elastomer materials (and related methods for making same) with mechanical properties that are controlled by the stereochemically-defined double bonds within their backbone, yet have physical properties that are derived from monomer selection and defined, modifiable, chain end groups. The use of the organocatalyzed, stereospecific addition of thiols to activated alkynes, affords isolated high molar mass materials (>100 kDa) via step-growth polymerization with high levels of cis- or trans-double bond content. Furthermore, in various aspects of the present invention, it has been found that changing the monomer composition and chain end groups provides additional control over the materials' physical properties to provide more efficient compounding with polar additives. Using this approach to elastomer synthesis, further end group modification and toughening through various vulcanization strategies are also possible.

Various embodiments disclosed relate to conjugated polyelectrolytes and methods of using the same. Various embodiments provide a conjugated polyelectrolyte including a subunit having the structure R.sup.1YR.sup.2Z. At each occurrence, R.sup.1 is independently chosen from 1,4-bonded phenylene substituted by XR.sup.3R.sup.4 j times and 2,5-bonded thiophene substituted by XR.sup.3R.sup.4 j times. At each occurrence, Y is independently chosen from a bond and CC. At each occurrence, R.sup.2 is independently chosen from a bond, a substituted or unsubstituted phenylene, thiophenylene, azulenylene, heptalenylene, biphenylene, indacenylene, fluorenylene, phenanthrenylene, triphenylenylene, pyrenylene, naphthacenylene, chrysenylene, biphenylenylene, anthracenylene, and naphthylene. At each occurrence, Z is independently chosen from a bond and CC. The variables j, R.sup.3, and R.sup.4 are as defined herein.

The present invention relates to a hydrochromic polydiacetylene composite composition, a hydrochromic thin film using same, and a use thereof, and more specifically, to a hydrochromic polydiacetylene composite composition reacting sensitively to moisture, providing the hydrochromic thin film using same, and to applying same to biorecognition or fingerprint recognition. According to the present invention, moisture secreted from a fingerprint or pores on the skin can be detected with high sensitivity. Thus, the position of pores unique to a fingerprint of an organism can be amplified and displayed through selective color change and fluorescent change patterns exhibited when moisture is absorbed.

A process for preparing an ethylene copolymer in the presence of free-radical polymerization initiator at pressures from 150 MPa to 350 MPa and temperatures from 100 C. to 350 C., by copolymerizing ethylene and a comonomer having a CC bond and optionally further comonomers, wherein the comonomer having the CC bond is represented by formula

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.1 is hydrogen or methyl; X.sup.1 is COO or CONH; R.sup.2 is CH.sub.2O, OCO, Si(CH.sub.3).sub.2, Si(CH.sub.3).sub.2O or CR.sup.5R.sup.6 wherein R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 are independently selected from hydrogen, methyl, ethyl and hydroxyl;
n is an integer from 1 to 32 and R.sup.2 is same or different from each other when n is 2 to 32; and R.sup.3 is CC and R.sup.4 is hydrogen, C.sub.1-C.sub.10 linear or branched alkyl, C.sub.1-C.sub.10 linear or branched hydroxyalkyl or phenyl, or the unit R.sup.3-R.sup.4 stands for

##STR00002##

wherein X.sup.2 is F, Cl, Br or I.

A process for preparing an ethylene copolymer in the presence of free-radical polymerization initiator at pressures from 150 MPa to 350 MPa and temperatures from 100 C. to 350 C., by copolymerizing ethylene and a comonomer having a CC bond and optionally further comonomers, wherein the comonomer having the CC bond is represented by formula

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.1 is hydrogen or methyl; X.sup.1 is COO or CONH; R.sup.2 is CH.sub.2O, OCO, Si(CH.sub.3).sub.2, Si(CH.sub.3).sub.2O or CR.sup.5R.sup.6 wherein R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 are independently selected from hydrogen, methyl, ethyl and hydroxyl;
n is an integer from 1 to 32 and R.sup.2 is same or different from each other when n is 2 to 32; and R.sup.3 is CC and R.sup.4 is hydrogen, C.sub.1-C.sub.10 linear or branched alkyl, C.sub.1-C.sub.10 linear or branched hydroxyalkyl or phenyl, or the unit R.sup.3-R.sup.4 stands for

##STR00002##

wherein X.sup.2 is F, Cl, Br or I.

The present invention provides an optically active poly(diphenylacetylene) compound represented by the following formula (I): ##STR00001##
[wherein each symbol is as described in the DESCRIPTION], and a production method thereof, an optical isomer separating agent containing the poly(diphenylacetylene) compound, and a packing material for a chiral column, containing the optical isomer separating agent coated on a carrier. According to the present invention, a practical optical isomer separation agent having a high optical resolution ability for a wide variety of racemic compounds and an optical isomer separation method can be provided.

The present invention provides an optically active poly(diphenylacetylene) compound represented by the following formula (I): ##STR00001##
[wherein each symbol is as described in the DESCRIPTION], and a production method thereof, an optical isomer separating agent containing the poly(diphenylacetylene) compound, and a packing material for a chiral column, containing the optical isomer separating agent coated on a carrier. According to the present invention, a practical optical isomer separation agent having a high optical resolution ability for a wide variety of racemic compounds and an optical isomer separation method can be provided.