A liquid-crystalline medium which comprises at least one compound selected from the group of compounds of the formulae IA to IH,

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in which Z.sup.1 denotes a single bond, —CH.sub.2CH.sub.2—, —CH═CH—, —CH.sub.2O—, —OCH.sub.2—, —CF.sub.2O—, —OCF.sub.2—, —COO—, —OCO—, —C.sub.2F.sub.4—, —(CH.sub.2).sub.4—, —CHFCHF—, —CF.sub.2CH.sub.2—, —CH.sub.2CF.sub.2—, —C≡C—, —CF═CF—, —CH═CHCHO— or —CH.sub.2CF.sub.2O—,
and the use thereof for an active-matrix display, in particular based on the VA, PSA, PS-VA, PALC, FFS, PS-FFS, SA-VA, PS-IPS or IPS effect.

A liquid-crystalline medium which comprises at least one compound selected from the group of compounds of the formulae IA to IH,

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in which Z.sup.1 denotes a single bond, —CH.sub.2CH.sub.2—, —CH═CH—, —CH.sub.2O—, —OCH.sub.2—, —CF.sub.2O—, —OCF.sub.2—, —COO—, —OCO—, —C.sub.2F.sub.4—, —(CH.sub.2).sub.4—, —CHFCHF—, —CF.sub.2CH.sub.2—, —CH.sub.2CF.sub.2—, —C≡C—, —CF═CF—, —CH═CHCHO— or —CH.sub.2CF.sub.2O—,
and the use thereof for an active-matrix display, in particular based on the VA, PSA, PS-VA, PALC, FFS, PS-FFS, SA-VA, PS-IPS or IPS effect.

Provided is a low-cost image display apparatus that has asymmetry in the display characteristics in the right-to-left direction, displays a clear image to the driver, exhibits an appropriate viewing angle control function that reduces reflected glare on the window glass, and is thinly made While causing no moire, and there are also provided an information display system for a vehicle, and an optical film. The image display apparatus includes a viewing-side polarizing plate, a liquid crystal cell, a backlight-side polarizing plate, an optical film, and a backlight in this order, in which the optical film includes an optically anisotropic layer and a polarizer in this order from the liquid crystal cell side, the absorption axis of the backlight-side polarizing plate and the absorption axis of the polarizer are parallel or orthogonal to each other, the optically anisotropic layer is optically uniaxially anisotropic, while in a case where the optic axis of the optically anisotropic layer is projected onto the polarizer as viewed from the viewing-side of the image display apparatus, the azimuthal angle of the optic axis is +50° to +70° or −50° to −70° with respect to the horizontal direction, the average tilt angle of the optic axis with respect to the main surface of the optically anisotropic layer is 20° to 45°, and the in-plane phase difference Re (550) of the optically anisotropic layer is 70 nm to 240 nm.

Provided is a low-cost image display apparatus that has asymmetry in the display characteristics in the right-to-left direction, displays a clear image to the driver, exhibits an appropriate viewing angle control function that reduces reflected glare on the window glass, and is thinly made While causing no moire, and there are also provided an information display system for a vehicle, and an optical film. The image display apparatus includes a viewing-side polarizing plate, a liquid crystal cell, a backlight-side polarizing plate, an optical film, and a backlight in this order, in which the optical film includes an optically anisotropic layer and a polarizer in this order from the liquid crystal cell side, the absorption axis of the backlight-side polarizing plate and the absorption axis of the polarizer are parallel or orthogonal to each other, the optically anisotropic layer is optically uniaxially anisotropic, while in a case where the optic axis of the optically anisotropic layer is projected onto the polarizer as viewed from the viewing-side of the image display apparatus, the azimuthal angle of the optic axis is +50° to +70° or −50° to −70° with respect to the horizontal direction, the average tilt angle of the optic axis with respect to the main surface of the optically anisotropic layer is 20° to 45°, and the in-plane phase difference Re (550) of the optically anisotropic layer is 70 nm to 240 nm.

The present invention relates to a liquid crystal alignment composition for the preparation of a liquid crystal alignment film having enhanced alignment property and stability and exhibiting a high voltage holding ratio, a method for preparing a liquid crystal alignment film using the same, and a liquid crystal alignment film and a liquid crystal display device using the same.

A coating composition, a method for manufacturing a substrate using the same, and an optical device are provided. The method for manufacturing the substrate provides the substrate having excellent performance, as the substrate has fixed spacers on its surface by using a single layer in which nanoparticles and spacers are dispersed in an alignment film to reduce processes and cost. The optical device may be manufactured by such method.

A coating composition, a method for manufacturing a substrate using the same, and an optical device are provided. The method for manufacturing the substrate provides the substrate having excellent performance, as the substrate has fixed spacers on its surface by using a single layer in which nanoparticles and spacers are dispersed in an alignment film to reduce processes and cost. The optical device may be manufactured by such method.

Provided are an optical element that can make the brightness of light emitted from a light guide plate uniform, a light guide element, and an image display device. The optical element includes a patterned cholesteric liquid crystal layer that is obtained by immobilizing a cholesteric liquid crystalline phase, in which the patterned cholesteric liquid crystal layer has a liquid crystal alignment pattern in which a direction of an optical axis derived from a liquid crystal compound changes while continuously rotating in at least one in-plane direction, and the patterned cholesteric liquid crystal layer has regions having different pitches of helical structures in a plane.

Provided are an optical element that can make the brightness of light emitted from a light guide plate uniform, a light guide element, and an image display device. The optical element includes a patterned cholesteric liquid crystal layer that is obtained by immobilizing a cholesteric liquid crystalline phase, in which the patterned cholesteric liquid crystal layer has a liquid crystal alignment pattern in which a direction of an optical axis derived from a liquid crystal compound changes while continuously rotating in at least one in-plane direction, and the patterned cholesteric liquid crystal layer has regions having different pitches of helical structures in a plane.

The present invention provides: a laminate which has a polarizer and an optically anisotropic layer and has excellent thermal durability; and an organic electroluminescent device and a liquid crystal display device, which include the laminate. The laminate according to the embodiment of the present invention is a laminate having two substrates, and a polarizing plate disposed between the two substrates, in which the polarizing plate has an optically anisotropic layer and a polarizer, the optically anisotropic layer is formed of a composition containing a polymerizable liquid crystal compound represented by Formula (I), the polarizer contains a polyvinyl alcohol-based resin, and a moisture permeability of the substrate is 10.sup.−3 g/m.sup.2.Math.day or less. ##STR00001##