An optically anisotropic layer is formed by a liquid crystal compound represented by General Formula 1, in which the long axes of the molecules are oriented. ##STR00001##
wherein L.sub.1 and L.sub.2 independently represent a linking group having a carbonyl group; F.sub.1 and F.sub.2 independently represent an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or a halogen atom; n and m independently represent an integer from 0 to 4; a and b independently represent an integer from 1 to 4; T.sub.1 and T.sub.2 independently represent a spacer portion including a straight chain or branched alkylene or alkylene oxide group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms; and Ar represents a divalent group having at least one aromatic ring selected from a group consisting of aromatic hydrocarbon rings and aromatic heterocycles, the number of Π electrons in the Ar group being 8 or greater.

The present invention relates to benzotriazole derivatives selected from the group of compounds of formulae Ia, Ib and Ic as defined in claim 1, to mesogenic media comprising the compounds of formulae Ia, Ib and Ic, and to the use of these compounds and mesogenic media in optical, electronic and electro-optical applications, in particular in devices for regulating the passage of energy from an outside space into an inside space, for example in windows.

The present invention relates to liquid-crystalline media comprising one or more mesogenic compounds, one or more chiral compounds, and one or more polymerisable mesogenic compounds, wherein the media exhibit a pitch of 0.55 μm or more and a clearing point of 80° C. or more and wherein the one or more polymerisable mesogenic compounds are contained in an amount, based on the overall contents of the media, of 5% by weight or less. The present invention further relates to modulation materials obtainable from the media and to switching layers and window elements containing the materials.

The present invention relates to liquid-crystalline media comprising one or more compounds selected from the group of compounds of formula I

##STR00001##

in which the parameters have the meaning indicated in Claim 1, and to components comprising these media for high-frequency technology, in particular phase shifters and microwave array antennas.

The present invention relates to liquid crystalline media comprising one or more naphthothiadiazol derivatives of formula I, ##STR00001##
in which R.sup.11, R.sup.12, A.sup.11, A.sup.12, A.sup.21, A.sup.22, Z.sup.11, Z.sup.12, Z.sup.21, Z.sup.22, W, X.sup.11, X.sup.12, L, r, s and t have the meanings indicated in claim 1, to the use of such liquid crystal media for optical, electro-optical and electronic purposes, in particular in devices for regulating the passage of energy from an outside space into an inside space, for example in windows.

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.

The liquid crystal display device of the disclosure has: a first substrate; a plurality of pixel electrodes formed on the first substrate; a second substrate; a counter electrode formed on the second substrate and facing the pixel electrode; a liquid crystal layer including a liquid crystal composition between the pixel electrode and the counter electrode; and an alignment control layer formed of a polymer containing an alignable monomer that is one component of the liquid crystal composition, in which the alignment control layers are each formed on a side of the first substrate and on a side of the second substrate. The alignable monomer is a polymerizable polar compound having a mesogen moiety formed of at least one ring, and a polar group.

A liquid crystal composition and the use thereof are provided. The liquid crystal composition comprises 15-30% by weight of three or more compounds of general formula I; the general formula I must comprises at least two compounds of general formula I-1; wherein, by weight of the total amount of the liquid crystal composition, the total amount of the compounds of general formula I-1 is no lower than 10%, and the content of each of the compounds of general formula I-1 is no higher than 8%. The liquid crystal composition has appropriately high optical anisotropy, higher dielectric anisotropy, lower threshold voltage, suitable elastic constant, suitable temperature range of nematic phase, good reliability and heat stability, and good low-temperature intersolubility. ##STR00001##

Provided is a laminate, which has a polarizer and an optically anisotropic layer and is excellent in thermal durability, and an organic electroluminescent device and a liquid crystal display device, which include the laminate. The laminate has two substrates and a polarizing plate disposed between the two substrates, in which the polarizing plate has a polarizer and an optically anisotropic layer, the polarizer contains a polyvinyl alcohol-based resin, the optically anisotropic layer is formed of a composition containing a polymerizable liquid crystal compound represented by General Formula (I): L.sub.1-G.sub.1-D.sub.1-Ar-D.sub.2-G.sub.2-L.sub.2, a moisture permeability of the substrate is 10.sup.3 g/m.sup.2.Math.day or less, and a water content of the polarizing plate is 3.0 g/m.sup.2 or less.

A liquid crystal composition without requiring an alignment film or alignment treatment on a substrate. The problem is solved by a low molecular weight polar compound capable of homogeneously aligning a liquid crystal medium relative to the substrate, for example, a low molecular weight polar compound represented by formula (1):
M-P(1) In formula (1), M is a nonpolar group having 1 or more carbons, and P is a polar group.