An object of the invention is to provide a photo-alignment copolymer capable of improving upper layer coatability after layer formation, a binder composition, a binder layer, an optical laminate, and an image display device. A photo-alignment copolymer according to the embodiment of the invention has a repeating unit A including a photo-alignment group, a repeating unit B including a crosslinkable group which causes a crosslinking reaction by the action of at least one selected from the group consisting of light, heat, an acid, and a base, and a repeating unit C including a cleaving group which decomposes by the action of at least one selected from the group consisting of light, heat, an acid, and a base to produce a polar group, and the repeating unit C has the cleaving group on a side chain, and has a group of atoms which is provided on a side closer to a terminal than the cleaving group on the side chain to be able to unevenly distribute the photo-alignment copolymer on an air interface side.

An object of the invention is to provide a photo-alignment copolymer capable of improving upper layer coatability after layer formation, a binder composition, a binder layer, an optical laminate, and an image display device. A photo-alignment copolymer according to the embodiment of the invention has a repeating unit A including a photo-alignment group, a repeating unit B including a crosslinkable group which causes a crosslinking reaction by the action of at least one selected from the group consisting of light, heat, an acid, and a base, and a repeating unit C including a cleaving group which decomposes by the action of at least one selected from the group consisting of light, heat, an acid, and a base to produce a polar group, and the repeating unit C has the cleaving group on a side chain, and has a group of atoms which is provided on a side closer to a terminal than the cleaving group on the side chain to be able to unevenly distribute the photo-alignment copolymer on an air interface side.

Provided are an optical film, a circularly polarizing plate, and an image display apparatus in each of which the occurrence of cracks is suppressed in the obtained film in a case of being punched. The optical film includes a stretched resin film and a liquid crystal layer formed by fixing a liquid crystal compound twist-aligned along a helical axis extending along a direction in thickness, in which a δa value calculated using a three-dimensional solubility parameter of a resin in the stretched resin film is 8.0 MPa.sup.1/2 or less, the liquid crystal layer contains a cured substance of a polyfunctional compound having two or more polymerizable groups in one molecule, and an absolute value of a difference between the δa value calculated using the three-dimensional solubility parameter of the polyfunctional compound and the δa value calculated using the three-dimensional solubility parameter of the resin is 4.0 MPa.sup.1/2 or less.

Provided are an optical film, a circularly polarizing plate, and an image display apparatus in each of which the occurrence of cracks is suppressed in the obtained film in a case of being punched. The optical film includes a stretched resin film and a liquid crystal layer formed by fixing a liquid crystal compound twist-aligned along a helical axis extending along a direction in thickness, in which a δa value calculated using a three-dimensional solubility parameter of a resin in the stretched resin film is 8.0 MPa.sup.1/2 or less, the liquid crystal layer contains a cured substance of a polyfunctional compound having two or more polymerizable groups in one molecule, and an absolute value of a difference between the δa value calculated using the three-dimensional solubility parameter of the polyfunctional compound and the δa value calculated using the three-dimensional solubility parameter of the resin is 4.0 MPa.sup.1/2 or less.

A composition includes two or more near infrared absorbing compounds having an absorption maximum in a wavelength range of 650 to 1000 nm and having a solubility of 0.1 mass % or lower in water at 23° C., in which the two or more near infrared absorbing compounds include a first near infrared absorbing compound having an absorption maximum in a wavelength range of 650 to 1000 nm, and a second near infrared absorbing compound having an absorption maximum in a wavelength range of 650 to 1000 nm which is shorter than the absorption maximum of the first near infrared absorbing compound, and a difference between the absorption maximum of the first near infrared absorbing compound and the absorption maximum of the second near infrared absorbing compound is 1 to 150 nm.

A composition includes two or more near infrared absorbing compounds having an absorption maximum in a wavelength range of 650 to 1000 nm and having a solubility of 0.1 mass % or lower in water at 23° C., in which the two or more near infrared absorbing compounds include a first near infrared absorbing compound having an absorption maximum in a wavelength range of 650 to 1000 nm, and a second near infrared absorbing compound having an absorption maximum in a wavelength range of 650 to 1000 nm which is shorter than the absorption maximum of the first near infrared absorbing compound, and a difference between the absorption maximum of the first near infrared absorbing compound and the absorption maximum of the second near infrared absorbing compound is 1 to 150 nm.

The present invention relates to a composition comprises at least one random copolymer having at least one repeat unit of structure (1), The present invention also relates to novel processes for forming patterns using this novel crosslinked layer on a substrate by enable a film of a block copolymer coated on the novel crosslinked layer to undergo self-assembly. ##STR00001##

The present invention relates to a composition comprises at least one random copolymer having at least one repeat unit of structure (1), The present invention also relates to novel processes for forming patterns using this novel crosslinked layer on a substrate by enable a film of a block copolymer coated on the novel crosslinked layer to undergo self-assembly. ##STR00001##

A method of preparing an acrylic adhesive, in which the durability of an adhesive film may be improved through additional photocuring and the residual components according to solution photopolymerization are efficiently removed, and an adhesive film prepared therefrom.

Methods of manufacturing electronic devices employing wet-strippable underlayer compositions comprising a condensate and/or hydrolyzate of a polymer comprising as polymerized units one or more first unsaturated monomers having a condensable silicon-containing moiety, wherein the condensable silicon-containing moiety is pendent to the polymer backbone, and one or more condensable silicon monomers are provided.