There is provided a compound represented by General Formula (I), a composition containing the compound represented by General Formula (I), a cured product, an optically anisotropic body, an optical element, and a light guide element. P.sup.1 and P.sup.2 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, CN, NCS, or a polymerizable group. Sp.sup.1 and Sp.sup.2 each independently represent a single bond or a specific linking group, Z.sup.1 represents a specific linking group. However, two or more Z.sup.1's represent C?C. Two Z's bonded to A.sup.2 in Z-A.sup.2-Z in General Formula (I) do not represent C?C. A.sup.1 and A.sup.2 each independently represent a specific group. A plurality of A.sup.2's may be the same or different from each other. n represents an integer of 3 to 7.

##STR00001##

There is provided a compound represented by General Formula (I), a composition containing the compound represented by General Formula (I), a cured product, an optically anisotropic body, an optical element, and a light guide element. P.sup.1 and P.sup.2 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, CN, NCS, or a polymerizable group. Sp.sup.1 and Sp.sup.2 each independently represent a single bond or a specific linking group, Z.sup.1 represents a specific linking group. However, two or more Z.sup.1's represent C?C. Two Z's bonded to A.sup.2 in Z-A.sup.2-Z in General Formula (I) do not represent C?C. A.sup.1 and A.sup.2 each independently represent a specific group. A plurality of A.sup.2's may be the same or different from each other. n represents an integer of 3 to 7.

##STR00001##

A liquid crystal display element having an improved response speed by using a liquid crystal compound having a high K.sub.33, while neither improving nor deteriorating all the characteristics as a liquid crystal display element. The liquid crystal display element 10 of the present invention has a first substrate 15, a second substrate 15, and a liquid crystal composition layer 5 interposed between the first substrate 15 and the second substrate 15, wherein at least one of the first substrate 15 and the second substrate 15 has an electrode that controls the liquid crystal composition layer 5 and the bend elastic constant K.sub.33 of at least one kind of liquid crystal compounds in the liquid crystal composition constituting the liquid crystal composition layer 5 is 20 pN or more.

A liquid crystal display element having an improved response speed by using a liquid crystal compound having a high K.sub.33, while neither improving nor deteriorating all the characteristics as a liquid crystal display element. The liquid crystal display element 10 of the present invention has a first substrate 15, a second substrate 15, and a liquid crystal composition layer 5 interposed between the first substrate 15 and the second substrate 15, wherein at least one of the first substrate 15 and the second substrate 15 has an electrode that controls the liquid crystal composition layer 5 and the bend elastic constant K.sub.33 of at least one kind of liquid crystal compounds in the liquid crystal composition constituting the liquid crystal composition layer 5 is 20 pN or more.

One purpose of the present invention is to provide a liquid-crystal compound which exhibits liquid crystallinity at low temperatures. Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a thermally responsive material which exhibits liquid crystallinity and rubber elasticity at low temperatures (around room temperature) ever, though a large amount of a liquid-crystal compound is contained therein, and a method for producing this thermally responsive material. A liquid-crystal compound according to the present invention is obtained by adding an alkylene oxide and/or styrene oxide to a mesogenic group-containing compound that has an active hydrogen group.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a compound that can provide a liquid crystal composition with a high T.sub.ni, a high ?n, a low V.sub.th, a high ??.sub.r, a low tan ?.sub.iso, and high storage stability at low temperatures, a liquid crystal composition, as well as a liquid crystal display element, a sensor, a liquid crystal lens, optical communication equipment, and an antenna each using this. Specifically disclosed are a compound represented by the general formula (i) having an ethynylene group (C?C) and an isothiocyanate group (NCS) and a liquid crystal composition containing one or two or more of the compounds.

Provided is a novel liquid crystalline elastomer that can reversibly undergo phase transition between a liquid crystalline phase and an isotropic phase thereof in a relatively low temperature region. A liquid crystalline elastomer precursor comprising a mesogenic group to which an oxide compound is attached, wherein the liquid crystalline elastomer precursor has a molecular moiety excluding the mesogenic group, the molecular moiety having at least one ester bond and at least two active hydrogen groups. A liquid crystalline elastomer comprising the liquid crystalline elastomer precursor cross-linked by a trifunctional or higher-functional isocyanate compound and/or polyol compound, wherein the liquid crystalline elastomer has a molecular moiety excluding the mesogenic group, the molecular moiety having at least one ester bond, and the liquid crystalline elastomer reversibly changes a state thereof between a liquid crystalline phase and isotropic phase thereof in response to a change in temperature thereof.

The present invention provides a polymerizable liquid crystal composition capable of forming a uniform homeotropic alignment in producing a polymer through polymerization of the polymerizable liquid crystal composition. Further, the present invention provides a polymer obtained through polymerization of the polymerizable liquid crystal composition and having good alignment performance and high durability (retardation retention) with little cissing, and an optically anisotropic body using the polymer. Specifically, the present invention provides a polymerizable liquid crystal composition containing a polymerizable liquid crystal compound represented by the general formula (II-1), one or more kinds of polymerizable liquid crystal compounds (II-2) having one polymerizable functional group and/or one or more kinds of polymerizable liquid crystal compounds having 2 or more polymerizable functional groups in the molecule and represented by the general formula (I-1).

The invention relates to new compositions comprising a photo-alignable material comprising or deriving from a monomer of formula (I) and an additive selected from the group consisting of acid generators, base generators, acids or bases.

##STR00001##

A touch display screen and a preparation method, display apparatus and drive method therefor. The touch display screen includes: a first substrate and a second substrate arranged opposite each other; a first electrode and a second electrode arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate and capable of generating a horizontal electric field when in a powered-up state; a liquid crystal filled between the first substrate and the second substrate; and a touch sensing electrode provided at an outer side or an inner side of the second substrate. The liquid crystal includes a nematic phase liquid crystal and a long-chain compound dispersed in the nematic phase liquid crystal and enabling the nematic phase liquid crystal to be in a scattered state.