An object of the present invention is to provide an optical film having an optically anisotropic layer having excellent durability, and a polarizing plate and an image display device using the same. This optical film of the present invention is an optical film at least having an optically anisotropic layer, in which the optically anisotropic layer is a layer obtained by polymerizing a polymerizable liquid crystal composition containing a predetermined liquid crystal compound and a polymerization initiator, and the optically anisotropic layer has a density of 1.20 g/cm.sup.3 or more and a crosslinking point density of 0.0016 mol/cm.sup.3 or more.

An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal element which sufficiently optimizes mainly the electrooptical properties of a VA display, has a wide operating temperature range, a high-speed responsiveness at a low temperature, a halftone response speed, a high contrast, a wide viewing angle, a low threshold voltage, and a high resistance value, and includes a small amount of residual monomers and shows a high voltage holding ratio, even after polymerization of a polymerizable liquid crystal compound is performed. As a result of intensive studies to achieve the object described above, the inventors found the optimal configuration of a liquid crystal element and completed the present invention.

A shape-programmable liquid crystal elastomer comprises polymerized, nematic monomers. The monomers are organized into a plurality of voxels with each voxel having a director orientation.

The problem that the present invention is to solve is to provide an optical film that has less alignment defects and is less liable to cause variation in the optical characteristics when placed in a high temperature state. The present invention provides an optical film containing a structural unit derived from a specific compound, that is, an optical film containing a structural unit derived from a compound represented by the general formula (I), which has less alignment defects and is less liable to cause variation in the optical characteristics when placed in a high temperature state, and also provides a display device including the optical film.

The present invention relates to a method for the preparation of a thermoplastic liquid crystalline polymers. The present invention also relates to segmented copolymers containing thiourethane, amide, or linear bismaleimide hard segments and liquid crystal soft blocks and to thermoplastic liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) actuators containing the same.

This invention relates to a process for the preparation of monodisperse optical and shape anisotropic polymer particles comprising monomer units of at least one reactive mesogen, such particles per se, the use of these particles for the preparation of optical, electrooptical, electronic electrochemical, electrophotographic, electrowetting and electrophoretic displays and/or devices and security, cosmetic, decorative, and diagnostic applications, and electrophoretic fluids and displays.

The invention relates to a layer or article comprising cholesteric liquid crystal polymer particles, which are optionally dispersed in a continuous phase, to cholesteric polymer particles for use in such a layer or article, to methods of preparing such a layer or article, and to the use of such a layer or article as optical element, in windows or electrooptical devices like liquid crystal displays (LCDs).

Thermostatic heating or cooling materials and method for making and using the materials are disclosed. The thermostatic materials may be usable as packaging material and may include a mixture of at least two materials which exhibit a liquid crystalline (LC) phase, or mesophase. Mixtures of two or more compatible LC components may provide a tunability for both operating temperature (temperature control) and latent heat of transition (cooling capacity).

The invention provides a polymerizable composition including a compound that has a mesogenic group and satisfying an expression represented by Expression (1): 1.0YI/n50.0, wherein YI represents a yellowness index of a material including only a compound having a mesogenic group in the polymerizable composition, and n represents a refractive index anisotropy of a material including only a compound having a mesogenic group in the polymerizable composition, with the proviso that a chiral compound having a mesogenic group is excluded in the material including only the compound having the mesogenic group. The polymerizable composition has high storage stability and is unlikely to cause an increase of the content of a polymer component when being added to a polymerizable liquid crystal composition, and is excellent in adhesiveness, is not unlikely to cause discoloration, and exhibits good coating properties and good alignment properties in preparing an optical anisotropic body.

This invention relates to a process for the preparation of monodisperse optical and shape anisotropic polymer particles comprising monomer units of at least one reactive mesogen, such particles per se, the use of these particles for the preparation of optical, electrooptical, electronic electrochemical, electrophotographic, electrowetting and electrophoretic displays and/or devices and security, cosmetic, decorative, and diagnostic applications, and electrophoretic fluids and displays.