Liquid-crystalline media which can be used, in particular, for electro-optical displays having active-matrix addressing based on the ECB effect and for IPS (in-plane switching) displays or FFS (fringe field switching) displays.

A method for preparing a switching element which is operable in and electrically switchable between an optically clear state and a scattering state, wherein one or more polymerisable mesogenic compounds provided in a layer containing a liquid-crystalline medium which comprises one or more mesogenic compounds, one or more chiral compounds and the one or more polymerisable mesogenic compounds are subjected to polymerisation in the presence of a direct current (DC) electric field in the layer. Also, a switching element obtained or respectively obtainable by carrying out the method and to the use of the switching element in a window.

An object of the present invention is to provide a light-absorbing anisotropic film having an excellent degree of alignment of a dichroic azo coloring agent; an optical laminate including the same; and an image display device using the same. The light-absorbing anisotropic film according to an embodiment of the present invention is a light-absorbing anisotropic film which is formed of a liquid crystal composition containing a dichroic azo coloring agent compound, a liquid crystalline compound, and a compound represented by Formula (1) and has a front transmittance of 60% or less, and in which a content mass ratio of the dichroic azo coloring agent compound to the liquid crystalline compound is 5% to 35% by mass. ##STR00001##

Provided is a liquid crystal composition with which an optically anisotropic layer having excellent light resistance can be formed and an image display device having an excellent contrast can be manufactured, an optically anisotropic layer, an optical film, a polarizing plate, and an image display device. The liquid crystal composition contains a liquid crystal compound and a non-liquid crystal compound, in which both of the liquid crystal compound and the non-liquid crystal compound are compounds having any of aromatic rings selected from the group consisting of groups represented by predetermined formulae, and a ratio of a molecular weight of the non-liquid crystal compound to a molecular weight of the liquid crystal compound is 1 or less.

The invention relates to a liquid-crystalline medium, characterised in that it comprises one or more compounds of the formula IA, ##STR00001##
and
one or more compounds of the formula IB, ##STR00002##
in which R.sup.A, R.sup.B, X.sup.A, X.sup.B and Y.sup.1-13 have the meanings indicated in Claim 1, and to the use thereof for electro-optical purposes, in particular for shutter glasses, 3D applications, in TN, PS-TN, STN, TN-TFT, OCB, IPS, PS-IPS, FFS, PS-FFS and PS-VA-IPS displays.

The invention relates to a liquid-crystalline medium, characterised in that it comprises one or more compounds of the formula IA, ##STR00001##
and
one or more compounds of the formula IB, ##STR00002##
in which R.sup.A, R.sup.B, X.sup.A, X.sup.B and Y.sup.1-13 have the meanings indicated in Claim 1, and to the use thereof for electro-optical purposes, in particular for shutter glasses, 3D applications, in TN, PS-TN, STN, TN-TFT, OCB, IPS, PS-IPS, FFS, PS-FFS and PS-VA-IPS displays.

The invention relates to a compound of formula I,

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.11, R.sup.21, A.sup.11, A, Z, X.sup.11, X.sup.21, Y.sup.11, Y.sup.12, Sp.sup.11, Sp.sup.21, o and p have one of the meanings as given in claim 1. The invention further relates to method of production of a compound of formula I, to the use of said compounds in LC media and to LC media comprising one or more compounds of formula I. Further, the invention relates to a method of production of such LC media, to the use of such media in LC devices, and to LC device comprising a LC medium according to the present invention. The present invention further relates to a process for the fabrication such liquid crystal display and to the use of the liquid crystal mixtures according to the invention for the fabrication of such liquid crystal display.

An actuator device comprises a stack formed from a plurality of photoresponsive layers, which deform in response to light, which are partitioned by respective deformable non-photoresponsive layers. The deformable non-photoresponsive layers guide light between and to the photoresponsive layers, and can follow the deformation of the photoresponsive layers.

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; and a composition containing the compound. The compound is represented by formula (1). In formula (1), for example, P.sup.1 is a group represented by any one of formulas (1b) to (1i), P.sup.2 is a group represented by formula (1d), Sp.sup.1 and Sp.sup.2 are a single bond, Z.sup.1, Z.sup.2, Z.sup.3, Z.sup.4 and Z.sup.5 are —COO—, and ring A.sup.1, ring A.sup.2, ring A.sup.3 and ring A.sup.4 are 1,4-phenylene: ##STR00001##

An atmospheric water generator for extracting water droplets from ambient air includes an insulating substrate, a plurality of electrode film units, and a liquid crystal/polymer composite film. Each of surface regions of the liquid crystal/polymer composite film has a plurality of liquid crystal molecules each having a hydrophilic functional group and a hydrophobic moiety. Each of the surface regions normally has one of hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties. When a voltage is applied to one of the electrode film units, the respective surface region is switched to have the other one of hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties, to thereby allow the water droplets condensed from the ambient air to move on the surface regions.