A polymer compound having a weight average molecular weight in the range of 1,000 to 500,000, and contains one or more repeating units represented by formula (1) and one or more repeating units represented by formula (2): ##STR00001## R.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; Rf.sub.1 represents a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or a phenyl group, and has at least one fluorine atom or a trifluoromethyl group in Rf.sub.1; Z.sub.1 represents a single bond, an arylene group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms or —C(═O)—O—R.sup.2—; R.sup.2 represents a linear, branched or cyclic alkylene group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an arylene group having 6 to 10 carbon atoms or an alkenylene group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, and may have an ether group, a carbonyl group or an ester group in R.sup.2; and “a” is 0<a≤1.0, and ##STR00002## “b” is 0<b<1.0.

Provided are an optically anisotropic film which has excellent moisture-heat resistance and can have a reduction in the thickness, an optical film, a polarizing plate, and an image display device. The optically anisotropic film is obtained by polymerizing a polymerizable liquid crystal composition, in which the polymerizable liquid crystal composition contains a polymerizable liquid crystal compound represented by Formula (1): L.sup.1-SP.sup.1-(E.sup.3-A.sup.1).sub.m-E.sup.1-G.sup.1-D.sup.1-Ar.sup.1-D.sup.2-G.sup.2-E.sup.2-(A.sup.2-E.sup.4).sub.n-SP.sup.2-L.sup.2 and a polymerizable liquid crystal compound represented by Formula (2): L.sup.1-SP.sup.1-(E.sup.3-A.sup.1).sub.m-E.sup.1-G.sup.1-D.sup.1-Ar.sup.2-D.sup.2-G.sup.2-E.sup.2-(A.sup.2-E.sup.4).sub.n-SP.sup.2-L.sup.2, and the optically anisotropic film satisfies Formula (3): Re(450)/Re(550)<1 or Formula (4): Rth(450)/Rth(550)<1, and has a degree of alignment as measured by Raman spectroscopy of 0.4 or more.

The disclosure provides recording materials including mono- or poly-phenyl-core derivatized monomers and polymers for use in volume Bragg gratings, including, but not limited to, volume Bragg gratings for holography applications. Several structures are disclosed for mono- or poly-phenyl-core derivatized monomers and polymers for use in Bragg gratings applications, leading to materials with higher refractive index, low birefringence, and high transparency. The disclosed mono- or poly-phenyl-core derivatized monomers and polymers thereof can be used in any volume Bragg gratings materials, including two-stage polymer materials where a matrix is cured in a first step, and then the volume Bragg grating is written by way of a second curing step of a monomer.

A polymerizable liquid crystal composition capable of manufacturing an optically anisotropic film having excellent light fastness; and an optically anisotropic film, an optical film, a polarizing plate, an image display device, and an organic electroluminescent display device, each of which uses the polymerizable liquid crystal composition. The polymerizable liquid crystal composition of an embodiment of the present invention contains a polymerizable liquid crystal compound having reverse-wavelength dispersion properties and an ultraviolet absorber represented by Formula (1), in which a maximum absorption wavelength A of the polymerizable liquid crystal compound and a maximum absorption wavelength B of the ultraviolet absorber satisfy Formula (2), and a content of the ultraviolet absorber is 1% to 20% by mass with respect to a content of the polymerizable liquid crystal compound. ##STR00001##

A polymerizable liquid crystal composition capable of manufacturing an optically anisotropic film having excellent light fastness; and an optically anisotropic film, an optical film, a polarizing plate, an image display device, and an organic electroluminescent display device, each of which uses the polymerizable liquid crystal composition. The polymerizable liquid crystal composition of an embodiment of the present invention contains a polymerizable liquid crystal compound having reverse-wavelength dispersion properties and an ultraviolet absorber represented by Formula (1), in which a maximum absorption wavelength A of the polymerizable liquid crystal compound and a maximum absorption wavelength B of the ultraviolet absorber satisfy Formula (2), and a content of the ultraviolet absorber is 1% to 20% by mass with respect to a content of the polymerizable liquid crystal compound. ##STR00001##

Polymer particle embolics and methods of making same are described. The particle embolics can be used as embolization agents.

Polymer particle embolics and methods of making same are described. The particle embolics can be used as embolization agents.

An object of the present invention is to provide a photo-alignable polymer which has excellent coating properties, is capable of suppressing film thickness unevenness, and has excellent upper layer coating properties and good liquid crystal alignment properties after being formed as a layer; a binder composition; a binder layer; an optical laminate; a method for producing an optical laminate; and an image display device. The photo-alignable polymer of an embodiment of the present invention is a photo-alignable polymer having a repeating unit A including a cleavage group capable of decomposing by an action of at least one selected from the group consisting of light, heat, an acid, and a base to generate a polar group, in which the repeating unit A has the cleavage group in a side chain, has a fluorine atom or a silicon atom on a side closer to a terminal than the cleavage group in the side chain, and the photo-alignable polymer satisfies Condition 1 or Condition 2 shown below. Condition 1: The photo-alignable polymer further has a repeating unit B including a photo-alignable group, in addition to the repeating unit A. Condition 2: The repeating unit A includes a photo-alignable group on a side closer to the main chain than the cleavage group in the side chain.

An object of the present invention is to provide a photo-alignable polymer which has excellent coating properties, is capable of suppressing film thickness unevenness, and has excellent upper layer coating properties and good liquid crystal alignment properties after being formed as a layer; a binder composition; a binder layer; an optical laminate; a method for producing an optical laminate; and an image display device. The photo-alignable polymer of an embodiment of the present invention is a photo-alignable polymer having a repeating unit A including a cleavage group capable of decomposing by an action of at least one selected from the group consisting of light, heat, an acid, and a base to generate a polar group, in which the repeating unit A has the cleavage group in a side chain, has a fluorine atom or a silicon atom on a side closer to a terminal than the cleavage group in the side chain, and the photo-alignable polymer satisfies Condition 1 or Condition 2 shown below. Condition 1: The photo-alignable polymer further has a repeating unit B including a photo-alignable group, in addition to the repeating unit A. Condition 2: The repeating unit A includes a photo-alignable group on a side closer to the main chain than the cleavage group in the side chain.

The present invention relates to novel compounds, particularly to compounds comprising a photoactive unit, said novel compounds being particularly suitable for ophthalmic devices as well as to ophthalmic devices comprising such compounds.