A liquid crystal composition having negative dielectric anisotropy, large refractive index anisotropy, and low viscosity and containing as a first component, one or two or more compounds represented by general formula (I) and, as a second component, one or two or more compounds represented by general formula (II), wherein dielectric anisotropy () at 25 C. is 2.0 or less. Also, a liquid crystal display device having high contrast, fast response, and excellent display quality without causing image sticking and display defects.

A polymerizable compound-containing liquid crystal composition of the present invention relates to a liquid crystal composition containing a polymerizable compound represented by general formula (I) and a compound represented by general formula (II) and can be used for a liquid crystal display device imparted with liquid crystal aligning ability by polymerization. The polymerizable liquid crystal composition is required to cause no precipitation in a wide temperature range and have a low viscosity corresponding to fast switching, and a liquid crystal display device using the composition is required to have more stable alignment after polymerization and to cause no defect in display characteristics. In the present invention, the problems can be solved using a specified compound.

Provided is a liquid crystal compound that has high stability to heat, light and so forth, a high clearing point, low minimum temperature of a liquid crystal phase, small viscosity, suitable optical anisotropy, large negative dielectric anisotropy, a suitable elastic constant and 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## For example, R.sup.1 is alkyl having 1 to 10 carbons, alkoxy having 1 to 9 carbons or alkenyl having 2 to 10 carbons; R.sup.2 is alkyl having 1 to 10 carbons, alkoxy having 1 to 9 carbons or alkenyl having 3 to 10 carbons; ring A.sup.1 is 1,4-cyclohexylene or 1,4-phenylene; ring A.sup.2 is 1,4-cyclohexylene or 1,4-phenylene; Z.sup.1 and Z.sup.2 are a single bond; Z.sup.3 is O or a single bond; and L.sup.1 is F, CF.sub.3 or CF.sub.2H.

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

##STR00001##

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 composition includes particular amounts of a liquid crystalline polymer; a thermoplastic polymer including a polyetherimide, a polyarylate, or a poly(arylene ether-sulfone); and a compatibilizer including a polyepoxy compound or a poly(ester-carbonate). Methods for the manufacture of the compositions and articles including the composition are also provided.

The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device having excellent visibility outdoors, and a method for producing a liquid crystal display device capable of producing such a liquid crystal display device. The liquid crystal display device includes: a pair of substrates; a liquid crystal layer that is sandwiched between the pair of substrates and contains a liquid crystal material; and an alignment control layer that is in contact with the liquid crystal layer, at least one of the pair of substrates including a retardation layer on its liquid crystal layer side, the alignment control layer aligning the liquid crystal material in a direction horizontal to faces of the substrates, and containing a polymer containing at least a unit derived from a specific first monomer.

The present invention relates to liquid-crystalline media (LC media) having negative or positive dielectric anisotropy, comprising a low-molecular-weight component and a polymerizable component. The polymerizable component comprises self-aligning, polymerizable mesogens (polymerizable self-alignment additives) which effect homeotropic (vertical) alignment of the LC media at a surface or the cell walls of a liquid-crystal display (LC display). The invention therefore also encompasses LC displays having homeotropic alignment of the LC medium without alignment layers. The invention discloses novel structures for polymerizable self-alignment additives which have a certain position of the functional groups.

To show a liquid crystal composition having at least one or a suitable balance regarding at least two of characteristics such as a short response time, a large voltage holding ratio, a low threshold voltage, a large contrast ratio, a long service life and a small flicker rate; and an AM device having characteristics such as a short response time, a large voltage holding ratio, a low threshold voltage, a large contrast ratio and a long service life. The liquid crystal composition has a negative dielectric anisotropy and contains a specific compound having a large negative dielectric anisotropy as a first component, and the composition may contain a specific compound having a high maximum temperature or a small viscosity as a second component, a specific compound having a large negative dielectric anisotropy as a third component, and a specific compound having a polymerizable group as an additive component.

A liquid crystal display device includes: a liquid crystal layer containing a liquid crystal material; a sealing member disposed to surround the liquid crystal layer in a plan view; a pair of substrates that are bonded to each other by the sealing member, and sandwich the liquid crystal layer; and an alignment control layer disposed to be in contact with the liquid crystal layer in a region surrounded by the sealing member in a plan view, the alignment control layer aligning the liquid crystal material in a direction horizontal to faces of the substrates, and containing a polymer containing at least a unit derived from a specific first monomer.

Provide are a liquid crystal compound represented by formula I, and a liquid crystal mixture comprising the compound

##STR00001##

A lateral trifluoromethyl-containing liquid crystal compound having the structural characteristics of Formula I not only has a negative dielectric anisotropy (), an appropriate optical anisotropy (n), a higher clearing point (CP), a prominent low-temperature miscibility with other liquid crystals, and a low rotary viscosity (1), but also has a good stability to UV and high temperatures, particularly, a negative dielectric anisotropy. Same can be applied to the formulation of liquid crystal compositions of positive and negative types, and it is particularly prominent that same has the advantages of a good solubility at low temperatures and a high transmittance.