A liquid-crystalline medium having a nematic phase containing one or more compounds of formula D ##STR00001##
the use thereof in an electro-optical display, particularly in an active-matrix display based on the IPS or FFS effect, displays of this type which contain a liquid-crystalline medium of this type and the use of the compounds of formula D for improvement of the contrast and/or response times of a liquid-crystalline medium which contain one or more additional mesogenic compounds, as well as certain compounds of formula D.

Disclosed herein is a liquid crystal mixture applied in light compounds selected from the group of compounds of formula (I), component B comprised of one or more compounds selected from the group of compounds of formula (II), and component C comprised of one or more the liquid crystal mixture, wherein the liquid crystal mixture has higher stability of electrical performance and the light modulating device has improved optical performance.

##STR00001##

The invention relates to a liquid-crystalline medium, preferably having a nematic phase and dielectric anisotropy of 0.5 or more, which comprises one or more compounds of formula YX

##STR00001## in which
the parameters have the meanings given in the text,
to the use thereof in an electro-optical display, particularly in an active-matrix display based on the IPS or FFS effect, to displays of this type which contain a liquid-crystalline medium of this type, and to the use of the compounds of formula YX for the improvement of the transmission and/or response times of a liquid-crystalline medium which comprises one or more additional mesogenic compounds.

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.

A compound of formula I,

##STR00001##

Further, a method of production of a compound of formula I, the use of said compounds in LC media, and LC media comprising one or more compounds of formula I. Further, a method of production of such LC media, the use of such media in LC devices, and a LC device comprising a LC medium according to the present invention. Also, a process for the fabrication of such a liquid crystal display and the use of the liquid crystal mixtures according to the invention for the fabrication of such a liquid crystal display.

The present invention provides a liquid crystal composition, containing: one kind or two or more kinds of a first monomer having a first mesogenic skeleton, at least one polymerizable group represented by the general formula (PG1) linked to the first mesogenic skeleton, and at least one polar group linked to the mesogenic skeleton or the polymerizable group; and one kind or two or more kinds of a second monomer having a second mesogenic skeleton and a polymerizable group represented by the general formula (PG2) linked to the second mesogenic skeleton, and having a chemical structure different from that of the first monomer, in an amount of more than 0.4% by mass, which is excellent in vertical alignment, burn-in characteristics (change with time of pretilt angle), and compatibility, and provides a liquid crystal display element using the liquid crystal composition.

The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device that includes a first substrate having an electrode A formed thereon; a second substrate having an electrode B formed thereon and being disposed to oppose the first substrate; and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and substantially vertically aligned with respect to the first and second substrates when no voltage is applied between electrodes, in which the electrode A has a fishbone pattern having a branched portion, and a space (S μm) between adjacent branches of branches of the fishbone pattern and an inter-substrate distance (d μm) between the first substrate and the second substrate satisfy a relationship of formula (1):
(d−0.6)/1.25<S<(d+1.1)/1.25  formula (1).

The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device. The liquid crystal display device of the present invention comprises a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal composition disposed between said first substrate and said second substrate, wherein said first substrate and said second substrate are disposed in parallel and opposite to each other; alignment layers are disposed on the sides of said first and second substrates that are close to said liquid crystal composition; and said alignment layers are provided with vertical alignment films that allow liquid crystal molecules in said liquid crystal composition to be arranged roughly perpendicular to said first and second substrates, with said liquid crystal molecules having a pretilt angle of 88.5° to 89.5°.

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.