Liquid crystal-based devices for detecting chlorine in a sample and methods of using such devices to detect chlorine are disclosed. Such devices have a substrate surface that includes either metal cations or a metal that is in contact with a composition that includes a liquid crystal. When the device is contacted with a sample that contains chlorine, an observed change in the orientational ordering of the liquid crystal signals the presence of the chlorine. In the absence of chlorine, no change in orientational ordering occurs.

A method for improving wear control, while maintaining or improving energy efficiency, in an engine or other mechanical component lubricated with a lubricating oil, by using as the lubricating oil a formulated oil. The formulated oil includes at least one lubricating oil base stock having one or more liquid crystals represented by the formula:

R1-(A).sub.m-Y(B).sub.nR2

wherein R1 and R2 are the same or different and are a substituted or unsubstituted, hydrocarbon, alkoxy or alkylthio group having from 2 to 24 carbon atoms; A and B are the same or different and are a cycloaliphatic group or aromatic group, provided at least one of A and B is an aromatic group; Y is a covalent bond, CH2-CH2-, CHCH, OCOO, CO, CSO, CSS, CS, O, S, SO, SO2-, CH2O, OCH2O, NO, ONO2, or CN; and m and n are independently 0, 1, 2 or 3. The lubricating oil base stock has a kinematic viscosity of 2 cSt to 200 cSt at 40 C., and 1 cSt to 25 cSt at 100 C. Also, this disclosure relates to low traction/energy efficient liquid crystal base stocks containing liquid crystals.

A composition for enhanced heat transfer fluid performance. The composition includes at least one base heat transfer fluid. The at least one base heat transfer fluid undergoes one or more phase changes in a heat transfer process. The heat transfer process includes a heated zone and/or a cooled zone. The one or more phase changes increase heat removal from the heated zone and/or increase heat rejection in the cooled zone, as compared to heat removal from a heated zone and/or heat rejection in a cooled zone of a heat transfer process having a base heat transfer fluid that does not undergo one or more phase changes. The base heat transfer fluids can exhibit liquid crystal behavior (e.g., heat transfer fluids having nematic, smectic or discotic liquid crystals). A method for conducting heat transfer in a heating and/or cooling system using the compositions comprising the base heat transfer fluids.

A method for improving friction and wear control, while maintaining or improving energy efficiency, in an engine or other mechanical component lubricated with a lubricating oil, by using as the lubricating oil a formulated oil. The formulated oil has a composition including at least one lubricating oil base stock. The at least one lubricating oil base stock includes one or more liquid crystals, wherein the one or more liquid crystals are represented by the formula:

A(R1).sub.n

wherein A is a mono-ring or a multi-ring aromatic group, R1 is the same or different and is a substituted or unsubstituted, hydrocarbon, alkoxy, or alkylthio group having from 2 to 24 carbon atoms, and n is a value from 1 to 12. The lubricating oil base stock has a kinematic viscosity of 2 cSt to 200 cSt at 40 C., as determined according to ASTM D445, and a kinematic viscosity of 1 cSt to 25 cSt at 100 C., as determined according to ASTM D445.

Provided is a lubricant base stock, a lubricating oil including the lubricant base stock and a method for improving viscosity temperature performance or viscosity index of an engine or other mechanical component lubricated with the lubricating oil. The lubricant base stock includes one or more liquid crystals represented by the formula:

R1-(A).sub.m-Y(B).sub.nR2

wherein R1 and R2 are the same or different and are a substituted or unsubstituted, alkyl or alkoxy group having from 0 to 24 carbon atoms; A and B are the same or different and are a cycloaliphatic group or aromatic group, provided at least one of A and B is an aromatic group; Y is a covalent bond, CH2-CH2-, CHCH, CC, OCOO, COO, CO, CSO, CSS, CS, O, S, SO, SO2-, CH2O, OCH2O, NO, ONO2, COOH, OH, or CN; and m and n are independently 0, 1, 2 or 3. The lubricant base stock has a kinematic viscosity of 2 cSt to 28 cSt at 40 C., and 1 cSt to 12 cSt at 100 C.

The present invention provides an optical film exhibiting high alignment and good phase difference development in an oblique direction, and a polarizing plate and an image display device using the same. This optical film of the present invention has a substrate; and a phase difference layer which is provided on the substrate to be adjacent to the substrate, in which the phase difference layer is a layer formed by fixing vertical alignment of a liquid crystal compound having a polymerizable group included in a liquid crystal composition containing the liquid crystal compound and a polymer compound, a difference in ?a value between the polymer compound and the substrate, which is calculated using three-dimensional SP values, is 3 or less, and a content of the polymer compound is less than 10 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the liquid crystal compound.

A method of ink-extrusion printing an object, including providing a mixture including liquid crystal monomers and photo-catalyzing or heating the mixture to produce a liquid crystal ink. The ink is in a nematic phase. The method includes extruding the ink through a print-head orifice moving along a print direction to faun an extruded film of the object. The extruded film exhibits birefringence. Also disclosed are a liquid crystal ink. The ink includes a mixture including liquid crystal monomers. The mixture when at a target printing temperature is in a nematic phase. Also disclosed is ink-extrusion-printed object. The object includes an extrusion-printed film including a nematic liquid crystal elastomer, wherein the film exhibits birefringence along an extrusion axis of the film.

Stable, macroscopic single-crystal chiral liquid crystal compositions are described. The compositions include a single-crystal chiral liquid crystal material on a patterned surface. The patterned surface seeds a particular crystallographic orientation at the substrate-liquid crystal interface. Also described are methods of forming the single-crystal chiral liquid crystal compositions.

The present application relates to a liquid crystal device. The liquid crystal device of the present application may realize a transparent white state, a transparent black state and a scattering state according to a frequency and/or level of an applied voltage. The liquid crystal device may be applied to, for example, a window of a vehicle, a smart window, a window protective film, a display, a light cutoff panel for a display, an active retarder for a 3D image display or a viewing angle controlling film.

Provide is a metal-coated liquid-crystal polymer film that is suitable for microcircuit processing and capable of reducing the transmission loss of circuits. The metal-coated liquid-crystal polymer film comprising: a polymer film comprising a polymer film main body capable of forming an optically anisotropic melt phase; a first metal layer layered on at least one side of the polymer film main body; and a second metal layer layered on the first metal layer, wherein in an analysis of oxygen concentration in a thickness direction using XPS, the average oxygen concentration of the first metal layer is 2.5 atom % or less.