Bis(azo-benzene) diamine monomers and a method of synthesizing the monomers are provided. The bis(azo-benzene) diamine monomers, in combination with amine reactive monomers, form polymers, such as polyimides and copolyimides, having photomechanical and thermomechanical properties.

An alignment film includes a copolymer containing a repeating structural unit represented by the following formula (1), wherein X1 and X2 may be the same as or different from each other and are each represented by any one of several formulas; and Y is represented by any one of several formulas ##STR00001##

Disclosed is a cyclic peptide polymer having the below structure. Each R.sup.1 and each R.sup.2 is an organic group. Each R.sup.3 is a covalent bond or methylene. The values m and n are nonnegative integers having a sum of at least 1. Each X is NHCO or CON. The value p is an integer greater than 1. The cyclic peptide polymer may be made by providing a cyclic peptide having two side chains having terminal amino groups or carboxylic acid groups, and reacting the amino groups with an azobenzene or the carboxylic acid groups with an azodianiline.

##STR00001##

The subject is to show liquid crystal display device that has characteristics such as a short response time, a large voltage holding ratio, a low threshold voltage, a large contrast ratio, a long service life and a small flicker rate. The disclosure relates to a liquid crystal display device including an electrode group formed on one or both of a pair of substrates that are opposed to each other, and a plurality of active devices connected to the electrode group, and a liquid crystal alignment film formed on the opposing surfaces of the pair of substrates, and a liquid crystal composition sandwiched in between the pair of substrates.

The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device with reduced power consumption as well as reduced flicker. The liquid crystal display device is one in a transverse electric field mode, including: paired substrates; a photo-alignment film disposed on at least one of the substrates; a horizontal alignment liquid crystal layer disposed between the substrates; and pixels arranged in a matrix form, the liquid crystal layer containing liquid crystal molecules with a bicyclohexyl skeleton and liquid crystal molecules with a difluorobenzene skeleton, the liquid crystal layer having negative anisotropy of dielectric constant, one of the substrates including TFTs disposed in the respective pixels, the TFTs each including a semiconductor layer that contains an oxide semiconductor, the liquid crystal display device having a frame rate of lower than 50 Hz.

A photo-aligning liquid crystal aligning agent for forming a liquid crystal alignment layer capable of materializing a liquid crystal display device, which has a high transmittance while maintaining a liquid crystal aligning property, a voltage holding ratio and the like, and in which flickering is inhibited from being caused after operating for a long time. The photo-aligning liquid crystal aligning agent contains [A] polyamic acid or a derivative thereof which is synthesized by reacting tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride and diamine, and [B] polyamic acid or a derivative thereof obtained by reacting tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride having no photoreactive structure and diamine having no photoreactive structure.

A photo-aligning liquid crystal aligning agent for forming a liquid crystal alignment layer capable of materializing a liquid crystal display device, which has a high transmittance while maintaining a liquid crystal aligning property, a voltage holding ratio and the like, and in which flickering is inhibited from being caused after operating for a long time. The photo-aligning liquid crystal aligning agent contains [A] polyamic acid or a derivative thereof which is synthesized by reacting tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride and diamine, and [B] polyamic acid or a derivative thereof obtained by reacting tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride having no photoreactive structure and diamine having no photoreactive structure.

Bis(azo-benzene) diamine monomers and a method of synthesizing the monomers are provided. The bis(azo-benzene) diamine monomers, in combination with amine reactive monomers, form polymers, such as polyimides and copolyimides, having photomechanical and thermomechanical properties.

Bis(azo-benzene) diamine monomers and a method of synthesizing the monomers are provided. The bis(azo-benzene) diamine monomers, in combination with amine reactive monomers, form polymers, such as polyimides and copolyimides, having photomechanical and thermomechanical properties.

A photo-aligning liquid crystal alignment layer formed by using a photo-aligning liquid crystal aligning agent containing polyamic acid or a derivative thereof which is synthesized by using tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride having no photoreactive structure having a specific structure and diamine having no photoreactive structure having a specific structure together with at least one of tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride having a photoreactive structure and diamine having a photoreactive structure can reduce storage of residual DC in a liquid crystal display device. Further, the above alignment layer can shorten the relaxation time and can prevent afterimages from being generated.