The invention relates to novel compositions comprising at least two anisotropic compounds of formula ##STR00001##
as well as to liquid crystalline networks, films and electro-optical devices comprising the compositions.

The present invention provides a compound represented by the general formula (I), and a polymerizable composition containing the compound. When the polymerizable composition containing the compound represented by the formula (I) is used to form a filmy product, the resulting filmy product exhibits less change over time in phase difference and reverse wavelength dispersion and when the filmy polymer is irradiated with UV light, peeling from a substrate is unlikely to be caused. Further, the invention provides a polymer obtained through polymerization of the polymerizable composition and an optically anisotropic body obtained using the polymer.

It is an object of this invention to provide a retardation film which uses a liquid crystal compound, has a suppressed streak defect and shows a good front contrast, and an application thereof. The present invention provides a retardation film in which a liquid crystal compound capable of showing a smectic phase is fixed in the smectic phase, the retardation film including a non-liquid crystal compound which satisfies the conditions A and B: condition A: molecular weight is 10000 or less; and condition B: T0T130 C. T0 represents the phase transition temperature between the nematic phase and the isotropic phase of a composition which does not contain the non-liquid crystal compound, and T1 represents the phase transition temperature between the nematic phase and the isotropic phase of a composition which contains the non-liquid crystal compound.

A liquid crystal composition is provided containing a first liquid crystal compound represented by formula (1):

##STR00001##

and a second liquid crystal compound represented by formula (2):

##STR00002##

Also provided is a method for producing the liquid crystal composition having a desired wavelength dispersion characteristic.

The present invention has an object to provide a polymerizable liquid crystal composition capable of manufacturing an optically anisotropic film having excellent light fastness; and an optically anisotropic film, an optical film, a polarizing plate, an image display device, and an organic electroluminescent display device, each of which uses the polymerizable liquid crystal composition. The polymerizable liquid crystal composition of an embodiment of the present invention contains a polymerizable liquid crystal compound having reverse-wavelength dispersion properties and an aromatic polyether-based compound.

New classes of thiadiazole and oxadiazole compounds for use in LC mixtures are disclosed. In an embodiment, the new classes of thiadiazoles and oxadiazoles comprise at least one phenyl ring attached to the heterocyclic ring, where no alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl tails are attached to the phenyl ring, but one alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl tail is attached to the other end of the molecule, and a fluoro or cyano group appears in the para position of the phenyl ring. These compounds are disclosed as being effective at inducing smectic A phases in liquid crystal mixtures, particularly in liquid crystal mixtures also possessing a smectic C phase, more particularly in materials possessing a chiral smectic C (ferroelectric) phase.

Disclosed is a mixture containing polymerizable compounds having Formulas (III) and (IV) wherein Ar.sup.1 and Ar.sup.2 are divalent aromatic hydrocarbon or heteroaromatic ring group having D1 or D2 as a substituent; D.sup.1 and D.sup.2 are C1-C20 organic group having at least one aromatic ring selected from the group consisting of aromatic hydrocarbon ring and heteroaromatic ring; A.sup.11-A.sup.22 and B.sup.11-B.sup.22 are alicyclic or aromatic group which may have a substituent, Y.sup.11-Y.sup.22 and L.sup.11-L.sup.22 are single bond, O, CO, COO, OCO, NR.sup.21CO, CONR.sup.22, OCOO, NR.sup.23COO, OCONR.sup.24 or NR.sup.25CONR.sup.26 where R.sup.21-R.sup.26 are hydrogen or C1-C6 alkyl group; R.sup.4-R.sup.9 are hydrogen, methyl group or chlorine; one of f and k is integer of 1 to 3 with the other being integer of 0 to 3; g, j, m and q are integer of 1 to 20; and h, i, n and p are 0 or 1.

##STR00001##

An object of the present invention is to provide: an optical element in which incident light can be transmitted or reflected at an angle in the predetermined direction and the wavelength dependence of the amount of transmitted light or reflected light is small; and an optical element including the optical element. The optical element according to the present invention comprises: an optically-anisotropic layer that is formed using a composition including a liquid crystal compound and an infrared absorbing colorant, in which the optically-anisotropic layer has a liquid crystal alignment pattern in which a direction of an optical axis derived from the liquid crystal compound changes while continuously rotating in at least one in-plane direction, and an absorption of the infrared absorbing colorant in a wavelength range of 700 to 2000 nm in a minor axis direction is higher than an absorption of the infrared absorbing colorant in a wavelength range of 700 to 2000 nm in a major axis direction.

Provided is a polymerizable liquid crystal composition with which an image display device having an excellent contrast can be manufactured; and a cured product, an optical film, a polarizing plate, and an image display device. The polymerizable liquid crystal composition contains a compound represented by Formula (I). L.sup.1-SP.sup.1-D.sup.5-(A.sup.1).sub.a1-D.sup.3-(G.sup.1).sub.g1-D.sup.1-[Ar-D.sup.2].sub.q1-(G.sup.2).sub.g2-D.sup.4-(A.sup.2).sub.a2-D.sup.6-SP.sup.2-L.sup.2 . . . (I), and a compound represented by Formula (II), L.sup.5-SP.sup.5-D.sup.9-(A.sup.5).sub.a3-D.sup.10-(G.sup.3).sub.g3-D.sup.11-M . . . (II).

A composition contains a compound of formula (1), and a polymerizable liquid crystal compound or a liquid crystalline polymer compound. n represents 1 or 2; Ar.sup.1, Ar.sup.2, and Ar.sup.3 each represent a 1,4-phenylene group or a divalent sulfur-containing aromatic heterocyclic group; At least one of Ar.sup.1 and Ar.sup.2 has a fluorine atom; R.sup.1 represents a single bond or a group selected from OC(?O), C(?O)O, C?C, CH?CH, CH?N, N?N, and N?CH; R.sup.2 represents an alkylamino group or an alkoxy group; R.sup.3 represents a group selected from an alkanediyl group, an alkanediyloxy group, an alkanediyloxycarbonyl group, and an alkanediylcarbonyloxy group; and R.sup.4 represents a polymerizable group or a hydrogen atom.
R.sup.4R.sup.3Ar.sup.1(R.sup.1Ar.sup.2).sub.nN?NAr.sup.3R.sup.2(1)