The instant invention relates to liquid crystalline media comprising a chiral component, component A, consisting of one or more chiral compounds, optionally, a bimesogenic component, component B, consisting of one or more bimesogenic compounds, a liquid crystalline component, component C, consisting of one or more liquid crystalline, respectively mesogenic compounds, and a reactive mesogenic component, component D, comprising, one or more reactive mesogenic compounds,
as defined in claim 1, to their stabilization by polymerization and to the polymer-stabilised liquid crystal materials, as well as to liquid crystal displays comprising these liquid crystal media, respectively these stabilized materials, especially to USH-displays and in particular to active matrix displays and, last not least, to the processes of preparation of the respective composite systems and of the displays comprising these systems.

The present invention relates to benzotriazole derivatives selected from the group of compounds of formulae Ia, Ib and Ic as defined in claim 1, to mesogenic media comprising the compounds of formulae Ia, Ib and Ic, and to the use of these compounds and mesogenic media in optical, electronic and electro-optical applications, in particular in devices for regulating the passage of energy from an outside space into an inside space, for example in windows.

The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device including a specific liquid crystal composition and a sealant in which a cured product of a specific curable resin composition is used. The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device which prevents a decrease in the voltage holding ratio (VHR) of the liquid crystal layer and which enables elimination of problematic defective display such as voids, uneven alignment, and screen burn-in. Since the liquid crystal display device of the present invention prevents a decrease in the voltage holding ratio (VHR) of the liquid crystal layer and enables a reduction in defective display such as uneven alignment and screen burn-in, it is particularly useful for active-matrix liquid crystal display devices of a VA mode and PSVA mode and can be applied to liquid crystal display apparatuses such as liquid crystal TVs, monitors, mobile phones, and smartphones.

A liquid crystal composition, and a liquid crystal display element or liquid crystal display including the liquid crystal composition and belonging to the field of liquid crystal display. The liquid crystal composition includes a compound represented by formula I, a compound represented by formula II, one or more compounds represented by formula III, and at least one polymerizable compound. The liquid crystal composition simultaneously has a low rotary viscosity, a large refractive index, and a fast response speed. ##STR00001##

To provide a liquid crystal compound satisfying at least one of physical properties such as a high stability to heat, light and so forth, a high clearing point, a low minimum temperature of a liquid crystal phase, a small viscosity, a suitable optical anisotropy, a large dielectric anisotropy, a suitable elastic constant and an excellent compatibility with other liquid crystal compounds; a liquid crystal composition containing the compound; and a liquid crystal display device including the composition. The compound is represented by formula (1): ##STR00001##
wherein, for example, Ra and Rb are alkyl having 1 to 10 carbons, alkenyl having 2 to 10 carbons or alkoxy having 1 to 9 carbons; A.sup.1, A.sup.2 and A.sup.3 are 1,4-cyclohexylene or 1,4-phenylene; Z.sup.1 and Z.sup.2 are single bonds, —(CH.sub.2).sub.2—, —CH═CH—, —COO—, —OCO—, —CF.sub.2O—, —OCF.sub.2—, —CH.sub.2O— or —OCH.sub.2—; Y.sup.1 is —CF.sub.2H or —CF.sub.3; Y.sup.2 is fluorine; and a, b and d are 0, 1, 2 or 3, and c is 1 or 3.

A liquid crystal display device comprises a first substrate, a second substrate which faces the first substrate, an electrode part which is provided on at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer which comprises a liquid crystal composition and is provided between the first substrate and the second substrate. The liquid crystal composition includes a liquid crystal compound of Formula 1. ##STR00001##
wherein R.sub.1, R.sub.2, A.sub.11, A.sub.12, A.sub.13, A.sub.21, A.sub.22, Z.sub.11, Z.sub.12, Z.sub.13, Z.sub.21, Z.sub.22, a, b, c, d, and e are as described herein.

The present invention relates to mesogen compounds that include a first mesogen (Mesogen-1) and a second mesogen (Mesogen-2) that are connected by a linking group (-L-), as represented by the following Formula (I):

##STR00001##

Mesogen-1, and optionally Mesogen-2, each independently include the following terminal group,

##STR00002##

where R is hydrogen, alkyl, or alkoxy. Mesogen-2 optionally includes a terminal group P-, which is selected from R, acrylate, methacrylate, trihalomethacrylate, oxirane, hydroxyl, carboxylic acid, and carboxylic acid ester. Mesogen-1 and Mesogen-2 together include a total of at least seven, or at least eight, cyclic groups. In some cases, Mesogen-1 and Mesengen-2 are the same. The present invention also relates to liquid crystal compositions that include such mesogen compounds, and to optical elements that include such mesogen compounds.

Shown is a liquid crystal composition satisfying at least one of characteristics such as a high maximum temperature, a low minimum temperature, a large elastic constant, a suitable optical anisotropy and a large negative dielectric anisotropy, or has a suitable balance regarding at least two of the characteristics, and an AM device including the composition. The liquid crystal composition may contain a specific compound having a high maximum temperature, a low minimum temperature, a large elastic constant and a large negative dielectric anisotropy as a first component, a specific compound having a high maximum temperature or a small viscosity as a second component, a specific compound having negative dielectric anisotropy as a third component, or a specific compound having a polymerizable group as an additive component.

The invention relates to a liquid-crystalline medium which comprises at least one compound of the formula I, ##STR00001##
and to the use thereof for an active-matrix display, in particular based on the VA, PSA, PS-VA, PALC, FFS or IPS effect.

Compounds containing at least one C—C triple bond within a chain of at least 3 ring systems which have positive dielectric anisotropy, the use thereof for high-frequency components, liquid-crystalline media containing these compounds, and high-frequency components, in particular antennae, especially for the gigahertz region, containing these media. The liquid-crystalline media serve, for example, for the phase shifting of microwaves for tuneable phased-array antennae.