A first object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a cholesteric liquid crystal layer, which can produce a cholesteric liquid crystal layer whose reflection surface is not parallel to the substrate surface by a simple method. A second object of the present invention is to provide a cholesteric liquid crystal layer, and an optically anisotropic body and a reflective layer, each of which includes the cholesteric liquid crystal layer. A third object of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal composition capable of forming the cholesteric liquid crystal layer. A fourth object of the present invention is to provide a cured product, an optically anisotropic body, and a reflective layer, each of which is formed of the liquid crystal composition.

The method for producing a cholesteric liquid crystal layer of the present invention includes a step 1 of forming a composition layer satisfying the following condition 1, the following condition 2, or the following condition 3 on a substrate, using a liquid crystal composition including a liquid crystal compound; and a step 2 of subjecting the composition layer to a treatment for cholesterically aligning the liquid crystal compound in the composition layer to form a cholesteric liquid crystal layer.

Condition 1: at least a part of the liquid crystal compound in the composition layer is tilt-aligned with respect to a substrate surface

Condition 2: the liquid crystal compound is aligned such that a tilt angle of the liquid crystal compound in the composition layer continuously changes along a thickness direction;

Condition 3: at least a part of the liquid crystal compound in the composition layer is vertically aligned with respect to the substrate surface.

The present invention relates to liquid-crystalline media comprising one or more compounds selected from the group of compounds of formulae I, II and III, ##STR00001##
in which the parameters R.sup.1-R.sup.3, Z.sup.21, Z.sup.31, Z.sup.32 and rings A.sup.11, A.sup.12, A.sup.13, A.sup.21, A.sup.22, A.sup.31, and A.sup.32 are as defined herein, and to components comprising these media for high-frequency technology, in particular phase shifters and microwave array antennas.

A polymer having excellent liquid crystal alignment and electrical properties and thus is suitable for use as a liquid crystal alignment agent, a liquid crystal alignment agent including the same, a liquid crystal alignment film formed from the liquid crystal alignment agent, and a liquid crystal display device including the liquid crystal alignment film are provided.

In light of requests to reduce or reverse the wavelength dispersion of the birefringence of a phase-retardation film in order to increase the viewing angle of a liquid crystal display, the present invention provides a polymerizable compound that reduces, for example, the likelihood of crystals precipitating in a polymerizable composition including the polymerizable compound and enables the polymerizable composition to have high preservation stability and a polymerizable composition including the polymerizable compound which reduces the likelihood of inconsistencies being formed in a film-like polymer produced by polymerizing the polymerizable composition. Another object of the present invention is to provide a polymer produced by polymerizing the polymerizable composition and an optically anisotropic body including the polymer.

Compounds that have ultraviolet light absorbing properties, and which can also have mesogenic properties. Compositions that include one or more such compounds. Articles of manufacture that include one or more such compounds, such as optical elements that include an optical substrate and a layer that includes at least one such compound.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a reflective layer having an excellent diffuse reflectivity and a wide reflection wavelength range. Another object of the present invention is to provide a reflective layer having an excellent diffuse reflectivity and a wide reflection wavelength range.

The method for producing a reflective layer of the present invention includes: a step 1 of applying a composition selected from the group consisting of the following composition X and the following composition Y onto a substrate to form a composition layer; a step 2 of heating the composition layer to align a liquid crystal compound in the composition layer into a cholesteric liquid crystalline phase state; a step 3 of cooling or heating the composition layer in a cholesteric liquid crystalline phase state to reduce a helical pitch; and a step 4 of irradiating at least a partial region of the composition layer with light, between the step 1 and the step 2, between the step 2 and the step 3, or after the step 3, to photosensitize a chiral agent A or a chiral agent C in the composition layer. Composition X: a composition including a liquid crystal compound, a chiral agent A whose helical twisting power is changed upon light irradiation, and a chiral agent B whose helical twisting power is increased upon cooling or heating. Composition Y: a composition including a liquid crystal compound and a chiral agent C whose helical twisting power is changed upon light irradiation and whose helical twisting power is increased upon cooling or heating.

An object of the present invention is to provide a phase difference plate for an organic EL display device having excellent light resistance, an organic EL display device, and a method for producing a phase difference plate. The phase difference plate for an organic EL display device of an embodiment of the present invention has a phase difference layer formed from a composition containing a polymer having a repeating unit A including a photo-alignment group and a polymerizable liquid crystal compound having reciprocal wavelength dispersion, in which the photo-alignment group includes a double bond structure of CC or CN.

An object of the present invention is to provide a compound having a strong HTP and a high temperature dependence of HTP. In addition, another object is to provide a liquid crystal composition, a cured substance, an optical anisotropic boy, and a reflection film in which the above-described compound is used.

The compound of the present invention is represented by General Formula (1).

##STR00001##

The present invention provides a liquid crystal display including: a first substrate; a second substrate configured to be separated from and overlap the first substrate; a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and including liquid crystal molecules; a first polymer layer disposed between the first substrate and the liquid crystal layer; a second polymer layer disposed between the second substrate and the liquid crystal layer; and a plurality of protrusions disposed in at least one of a first position between the first polymer layer and the liquid crystal layer and a second position between the second polymer layer and the liquid crystal layer, in which the protrusions include polymers of reactive mesogens, and the first polymer layer and the second polymer layer include a polymer of a compound represented by Chemical Formula 1. ##STR00001##

Object A problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a luminescent nanocrystal complex that tends to disperse orderly in a polymer matrix and is superior in dispersibility in structurally mesogenic crosslinkable polymer matrices. Solution The present invention is a luminescent nanocrystal complex that contains luminescent nanocrystals and a surface-modifying compound that modifies the surface of the luminescent nanocrystals. The surface-modifying compound has a mesogenic backbone and a group that binds to the surface of the luminescent nanocrystals.