An aspect of the present invention relates to a method for producing a cholesteric liquid crystal based shell. The method comprises producing a cholesteric liquid crystal shell, solidifying the cholesteric liquid crystal shell so as to obtain a solid shell and perforating the solid shell. A second aspect of the present invention relates to a cholesteric liquid crystal based solid shell comprising a perforation. Other aspects of the present invention pertain to a coating composition comprising a plurality of cholesteric liquid crystal based solid shells, an item comprising a tag that comprises the cholesteric liquid crystal based solid shells and a method for authenticating the item.

The invention relates to a composition comprising i) A colorant ii) A radical generating photoinitiator, iii) A polymer wherein at least 40 mol-% of the repeating units are units according to formula (I), [Formula should be inserted herm] wherein R.sup.1 independently of each occurrence is H or CH.sub.3, R.sup.2 is a group of formula (II), [Formula should be inserted here] wherein L is a linking group, n is 0 or 1, and X independently of each occurrence is O or CH.sub.2, R.sup.3 independently of each occurrence is selected from H, COOH, and a group of formula (II), iv) 0.0 to 10.0% by weight, calculated on the on the weight of the polymer iii), of one or ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable monomers having a molecular weight of less than 1500 g/mol.

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Three-dimensional structures of stably associated mesogenic ligand-functionalized nanoparticles are provided. Compositions that include these structures, as well as methods of making the structures are also provided. The structures, compositions and methods find use in a variety of applications, such as light emitting devices (e.g., video displays, lights, etc.), inks, photonics and encapsulation technologies.

Mesogenic compounds having a structure of Formula (I), (II) or (III): where A, B, X1, L, TG, m, and n are defined as in claim 1. Compositions containing these compounds, articles made from these polymerized and prepolymerized compositions, and methods of estimating the elastic constants and anchoring constants of a liquid crystal materials and mapping topological defect structures in liquid crystals using these compounds. ##STR00001##

The present invention relates to an actuator that has a specific structure, and is molded from a resin composition, in which the resin composition contains a liquid crystal polyester having a specific repeating unit and a filling material, an amount of the repeating unit including a 2,6-naphthylene group is 40 mol % or more with respect to a total number of moles of all repeating units configuring the liquid crystal polyester, and an amount of the filling material is less than 55 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the total amount of the liquid crystal polyester and the filling material.

The present invention relates to polymerizable liquid crystalline formulations and especially to an ink formulation for inkjet printing comprising 10 to 50% w/w of one or more polymerizable liquid crystalline compounds and 50 to 90% w/w of one or more organic solvents selected from the group of aliphatic ketones, cyclic ketones, alkyl ethers of ethylene glycol or propylene glycol, alkyl esters of menthyl or aromatic solvents.

The present invention relates to a composition capable of forming a heat dissipating member having high thermal conductivity and a heat dissipating member. The composition for a heat dissipating member of the present invention is a composition for a heat dissipating member that includes a first inorganic filler having thermal conductivity that is bonded to one end of a coupling agent; a second inorganic filler having thermal conductivity that is bonded to one end of a coupling agent, in which a bifunctional or higher polymerizable compound is additionally bonded to the other end of the bonded coupling agent; wherein the other end of the coupling agent bonded to the first inorganic filler is to be bonded to the polymerizable compound on the second inorganic filler during curing.

Shown is a method for producing a liquid crystal capsule having a particle diameter of 30 to 150 nanometers, and a method for producing a liquid crystal capsule without using a homogenizer. The disclosure concerns a method for producing a liquid crystal capsule, including a step of preparing an emulsion by performing phase inversion emulsification of a mixed material obtained by mixing a liquid crystal composition, a monomer, a surfactant, and a polymerization initiator; and a step of producing a liquid crystal capsule by applying a coacervation method to the emulsion. The disclosure also concerns a liquid crystal capsule having a liquid crystal composition, a surfactant and a capsule wall, wherein the capsule wall has a closed curved shape, the liquid crystal composition and a hydrophobic moiety of the surfactant are arranged inside the capsule wall, and a hydrophilic moiety of the surfactant is arranged outside the capsule wall.

In a process for the purification of a liquid-crystal mixture (7), the liquid-crystal mixture (7) is passed through a first electrodialysis cell (2) and a concentrate solution (14) is passed through a second electrodialysis cell (8) which is adjacent to the first electrodialysis cell (2) and is separated by an ion-exchanger membrane (9), and an electric field transverse to a direction of passage of the liquid-crystal mixture (7) through the first electrodialysis cell (2) is generated with the aid of an anode/cathode arrangement (15, 16) arranged outside the electrodialysis cells (2, 8) so that ionized constituents of the liquid-crystal mixture (7) are discharged at the ion-exchanger membrane (9) and removed from the liquid-crystal mixture (7).

A light valve that is operable in and electrically switchable between an optically clear and transparent state and an opaque state, wherein one or more polymerisable mesogenic compounds provided in a layer containing a liquid-crystalline medium that comprises one or more mesogenic compounds, one or more chiral compounds, one or more dichroic dyes and the one or more polymerisable mesogenic compounds are subjected to photopolymerisation. Further, a liquid-crystalline medium used in the method, a light valve obtained or respectively obtainable by carrying out the method, and the use of the light valve in mobile devices.