The present invention relates to a liquid crystal (LC) medium comprising polymerisable compounds, to a process for its preparation, to its use for optical, electro-optical and electronic purposes, in particular in LC displays, and to LC displays comprising it.

The present invention relates to a liquid crystal (LC) medium comprising polymerisable compounds, to a process for its preparation, to its use for optical, electro-optical and electronic purposes, in particular in LC displays, and to LC displays comprising it.

A liquid crystal element includes a pair of substrates disposed to face each other, a liquid crystal layer disposed between the pair of substrates, and a liquid crystal alignment layer provided on each of the liquid crystal layer sides of the pair of substrates. The liquid crystal layer includes a compound having an alkenyl structure and a compound having a terphenyl ring structure, or includes a compound having an alkenyl structure and a terphenyl ring structure in the same molecule, and the liquid crystal alignment layer is a layer comprising a liquid crystal alignment agent containing a polymer (P) which has at least one selected from the group consisting of a radical polymerizable group, a photoinitiator group, a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic ring (excluding imide rings in polyimides), an amino group and a protected amino group.

Design and applications of a class of water-soluble small molecules represented by formula 1. The molecules, in their dilute aqueous solutions, exhibit lower critical solution temperature (LCST) phase transitions near room temperature, inducing a temperature triggered switching of opacity. Further, disclosed is a scalable smart window, akin to a radiative energy management system, that can be incorporated into the built environment for imparting energy efficiency. The window fabrication is facile wherein the aqueous solution is sandwiched between two transparent glass panes to enable modulation of light and heat transmission. The dynamic window of present invention represents with multifarious applications in developing scalable, smart energy management systems for indoor building environments is envisioned to be a major contribution towards cost effective smart glass technologies.

##STR00001##

A method for preparing a monodomain liquid crystal elastomer smart fiber incudes: during cross-linking process of the liquid crystal elastomer, drawing of liquid crystal elastomer fibers with uniform diameter from a polymer solution when the viscosity of the cross-linked polymer solution increases to a point where filaments can be drawn; heating by an infrared lamp to form filamentous liquid crystal elastomer fiber; natural air drying to remove excess solvent in the fiber; and stretching and collection of the fiber, followed by placement of the fiber, whereby the monodomain liquid crystal elastomer smart fiber is obtained. The method uses a one-step liquid phase drawing method, which is simple and suitable for large-scale industrial production and enables continuous preparation of high-strength, large-deformation reversible shape memory liquid crystal elastomer fiber with uniform and controllable diameter, breaking through the limitations of the size, strength and driving performance of existing liquid crystal elastomers.

A polymer having a partial structure formed by performing radical polymerization with respect to a compound having a mesogenic group derived from at least one type of liquid crystal compound selected from a rod-like liquid crystal compound and a disk-like liquid crystal compound, and two or more polymerizable groups, in which the polymer is a branched polymer, and a composition containing the polymer, an optical film, and a liquid crystal display device.

The response of biological cells to applied stress is central to the functioning of living systems. The present disclosure is directed to systems, compositions and methods for rapidly reporting biomechanical properties of cells or cellular organelles at a single cell or population level.

Design and applications of a class of water-soluble small molecules represented by formula 1. The molecules, in their dilute aqueous solutions, exhibit lower critical solution temperature (LCST) phase transitions near room temperature, inducing a temperature triggered switching of opacity. Further, disclosed is a scalable smart window, akin to a radiative energy management system, that can be incorporated into the built environment for imparting energy efficiency. The window fabrication is facile wherein the aqueous solution is sandwiched between two transparent glass panes to enable modulation of light and heat transmission. The dynamic window of present invention represents with multifarious applications in developing scalable, smart energy management systems for indoor building environments is envisioned to be a major contribution towards cost effective smart glass technologies. ##STR00001##