The invention relates to a birefringent RM lens obtainable from a polymerizable liquid crystalline medium consisting of a polymerizable liquid crystalline component A, consisting of one or more polymerizable mesogenic compounds, and a non-polymerizable component B, consisting of one or more non-polymerizable compounds
and to the use of such birefringent RM lenses in electro optical devices, such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs) or other optical or electrooptical devices, for decorative or security applications.

An optical film of the present invention includes an optically anisotropic layer containing a compound represented by the following general formula (1) or an optically anisotropic layer formed by the curing of a polymerizable composition containing a compound represented by the following general formula (1): ##STR00001##

An optical film, containing a cellulose acylate, and at least one compound represented by any of formulas (I) to (III): ##STR00001## wherein, in formulas (I) to (III), R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 each independently represent a halogen atom, an alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, hydroxy, hydroxyamino, amino, alkylamino, arylamino, alkoxy, aryloxy, alkylthio, or arylthio group (however, R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 do not represent an amino, alkylamino, or arylamino group at the same time); R.sup.3 to R.sup.6 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, acyl, alkyl- or aryl-sulfonyl, alkyl- or aryl-sulfinyl, carbamoyl, sulfamoyl, alkoxycarbonyl, or aryloxycarbonyl group; R.sup.7 represents an alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylamino, arylamino, alkoxy, aryloxy, or heterocyclic group; R.sup.8 represents an alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, or heterocyclic group; and R.sup.1 to R.sup.8 each may be further substituted with a substituent; and a polarizing plate and a liquid crystal display.

Disclosed is a liquid crystal display (LCD) device. The LCD device includes a first substrate and a second substrate facing each other, a liquid crystal layer between the first substrate and the second substrate, an alignment layer on at least one of the first and second substrates for alignment of liquid crystals in the liquid crystal layer, and a sealant in an edge area of each of the first and second substrates to bond the first substrate to the second substrate, the sealant including a diene compound.

A liquid crystal composition exhibits a positive dielectric anisotropy and sufficiently low viscosity without decreasing or increasing refractive index anisotropy or nematic phase-isotropic liquid phase transition temperature, and does not cause display failures. The liquid crystal composition contains one or more compounds selected from compounds represented by general formula (LC0) and one or more compounds selected from a group of compounds represented by general formula (LC1) to general formula (LC5), in which the liquid crystal composition contains one or more compounds in which at least one of A.sup.01, A.sup.02, and A.sup.11 to A.sup.42 in general formulae (LC0) to (LC4) represents a tetrahydropyran-2,5-diyl group.

A frame-sealing adhesive composition and a method of preparing the same. The frame-sealing adhesive composition includes 1.45 wt % to 1.65 wt % of photochromic molecules based on the total weight of the frame-sealing adhesive composition, said photochromic molecules are inert to polymeric materials. The method of producing a frame-sealing adhesive composition includes mixing 1.45 wt % to 1.65 wt % of photochromic molecules based on the total weight of the frame-sealing adhesive composition with a frame-sealing adhesive to form a stirred mixture; and degassing the stirred mixture.

Disclosed is a liquid crystal display. According to an exemplary embodiment, a liquid crystal display includes: a first substrate; a first electrode disposed on the first substrate; a second substrate facing the first substrate; a second electrode disposed on the second substrate and facing the first electrode; a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; and a first silicon nitride film formed between the liquid crystal layer and at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein a first region in which the first silicon nitride film is disposed between either of the first electrode and the second electrode and the liquid crystal layer and a second region in which the first silicon nitride film is not disposed between the first electrode and the liquid crystal layer and between the second electrode and the liquid crystal layer are formed, and a first electric field generated between the first and second electrodes in the first region is different from a second electric field generated between the first and second electrodes in the second region.

Micro-sized particles having a polymeric structure of cells are provided. Also provided is a method of producing micro-sized particles having a polymeric structure comprising: (1) forming a homogenous solution by heating a mixture of a high molecular weight polymer and a low molecular weight material, wherein said low molecular weight material makes up at least about 50% by weight of the homogenous solution, (2) forming a dispersed solution by dispersing the homogenous solution formed in step (1) into an inert material, (3) cooling the dispersed solution to cause the high molecular weight polymer to phase separate from the low molecular weight material, (4) forming solid particles comprised of said low molecular weight material trapped inside a structure of cells of said high molecular weight polymer, and (5) removing the solid particles from the dispersed solution.

The present invention provides an alignment layer including a backbone including a polyolefin-based compound, and a plurality of side chains including a vertical functional group and a reactive mesogen (RM) and connected to the backbone, the backbone and the plurality of side chains include a compound represented by the following Chemical Formula 1, and a liquid crystal display including the alignment layer. According to the present invention, the alignment layer may have improved mechanical properties and afterimage by including a polyolefin-based compound as a backbone. ##STR00001## Wherein X, Y, Z, Ak, Ar, Ra, and a, b, c, d and e are defined as in the specification.

Liquid crystal compositions comprising a crude liquid crystal sample containing ions and polyamide particles are disclosed. Upon separation of the polyamide particles from the crude liquid crystal sample, a purified liquid crystal sample is produced, which shows a 1-2 reduction in ion concentration. Methods for carrying out purification processes are also disclosed.