The purpose of the invention is to control, by using a colorless alignment control monomer, the alignment of liquid crystal molecules of a liquid crystal display element that does not include an alignment film, and to provide a liquid crystal composition with which the colorless alignment control monomer exhibits excellent compatibility. The invention uses a liquid crystal display element that comprises an alignment control monomer including an aromatic ester that undergoes photo-Fries rearrangement by light irradiation, and that employs a liquid crystal composition having a positive dielectric anisotropy. The invention also uses the liquid crystal composition.

A problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal composition excellent in vertical alignment and compatibility and to provide a liquid crystal display device produced using the same. The problem is solved by a liquid crystal composition containing one or two or more kinds of self-aligning polymerizable monomers and one or two or more kinds of polymerizable monomers (or polymerizable compounds) having a specific chemical structure, and a liquid crystal display device produced using the same, specifically a liquid crystal composition containing a polymerizable monomer represented by General Formula (I) and a spontaneously aligning monomer which has a chemical structure different from that of the polymerizable monomer represented by General Formula (I), and has a polar group, and a liquid crystal display device containing the same.

Provide is a polar compound having high chemical stability, high capability of aligning liquid crystal molecules, high solubility in a liquid crystal composition, and a large voltage holding ratio when the compound is used in a liquid crystal display device. A compound represented by formula (1) is applied.

##STR00001##

For example, in formula (1), P.sup.1 is any one of formulas (1b) to (1i), Sp is a single bond, Z is COO, and A is 1,4-phenylene.

##STR00002##

The present invention relates to a method of reducing ODF mura in liquid crystal (LC) displays of the polymer sustained alignment (PSA) type and to PSA LC displays made by this method.

The invention relates to a liquid crystalline medium, characterised in that it comprises one or more compounds of formula A ##STR00001##
and
one or more compounds of formula II ##STR00002##
wherein the parameters have the meaning indicated in claim 1, and to high-frequency components comprising the same, especially microwave components for high-frequency devices, such as devices for shifting the phase of microwaves, in particular microwave phased-array antennas.

Shown is a compound represented by formula (1). For example, R.sup.1 is alkyl having 1 to 15 carbons; MES is a mesogen group having at least one ring; Sp.sup.1 is a single bond or alkylene having 1 to 10 carbons; M.sup.1 is methyl; and R.sup.2, M.sup.2 and M.sup.3 are hydrogen. ##STR00001##

In light of requests to reduce or reverse the wavelength dispersion of the birefringence of a phase-retardation film in order to increase the viewing angle of a liquid crystal display, the present invention provides a polymerizable compound that reduces, for example, the likelihood of crystals precipitating in a polymerizable composition including the polymerizable compound and enables the polymerizable composition to have high preservation stability and a polymerizable composition including the polymerizable compound which reduces the likelihood of inconsistencies being formed in a film-like polymer produced by polymerizing the polymerizable composition. Another object of the present invention is to provide a polymer produced by polymerizing the polymerizable composition and an optically anisotropic body including the polymer.

A liquid crystal composition includes a polymerizable compound (or polymer) and a polar compound, where the homeotropic alignment of liquid crystal molecules can be achieved by the action of these compounds, and a liquid crystal display device includes such a composition. A nematic liquid crystal composition has positive dielectric anisotropy and includes a polymerizable compound as a first additive and a polar compound as a second additive, and the composition may include a specific liquid crystal compound having a large positive dielectric anisotropy and a specific liquid crystal compound having a high maximum temperature or a small viscosity, and a liquid crystal display device includes such a composition.

A liquid crystal composition includes: at least one liquid crystal compound selected from the group consisting of Chemical Formulas 1-1 to 1-8; at least one self-aligned compound selected from the group consisting of Chemical Formulas 2-1 and 2-2; and at least one reactive mesogen selected from the group consisting of Chemical Formulas 3-1 to 3-5. Compositions and devices constructed therewith are capable of ameliorating liquid crystal drip spots that typically occur in a manufacturing process. In addition, the display devices using the composition do not require an additional alignment layer, which simplifies manufacturing.

The present application provides a liquid crystal composition with high dielectric constant anisotropy and a low viscosity, and to provide a liquid crystal display device with high contrast, high-speed responsivity, high light fastness, and high display quality without image sticking and display defects. The liquid crystal composition contains one or two or more compounds represented by the general formula (I). The liquid crystal composition is of great practical use as a liquid crystal composition for use in liquid crystal displays and is effective for high contrast, high-speed response, and high quality reliability. ##STR00001##