The present invention relates to compounds that have ultraviolet light absorbing properties, and which can also have mesogenic properties. The present invention also relates to compositions that include one or more such compounds, and to 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 compound of the present invention.

An optical film of the present invention includes a positive A-plate and a positive C-plate, in which the Re(450), Re(550), and Re(650) of the positive A-plate satisfy the relationship of Re(450)≦Re(550)≦Re(650), the positive A-plate is formed of a cured product of a composition including the liquid crystal compound A, and the positive C-plate is formed of a cured product of a composition including the liquid crystal compound C.

An optical film, a polarizing plate, and an image display device, each having an optically anisotropic layer obtained by curing a polymerizable liquid crystal composition including a polymerizable liquid crystal compound (LCC) having forward wavelength dispersion and a monofunctional compound, and immobilizing an alignment state of the polymerizable LCC. The number a.sub.1 of atoms of the polymerizable LCC and the number a.sub.2 of atoms of the monofunctional compound satisfy a relationship of Expression (1): 0.2<a.sub.2/a.sub.1<0.55; the number b.sub.1 of the rings B.sup.1 contained in the polymerizable LCC and the total number b.sub.2 of the aromatic rings Ar and the rings B.sup.2 contained in the monofunctional compound satisfy a relationship of Expression (2): b.sub.2=b.sub.1×0.5 or b.sub.2=(b.sub.1+1)×0.5.

The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device including a pair of a substrate arranged opposite to each other, an electrode group disposed on one side or both sides of the pair of substrates facing each other, a plurality of active devices connected to the electrode group, a liquid crystal alignment film disposed on each facing side of the pair of substrates, and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the pair of substrates, wherein the liquid crystal alignment film is manufactured by irradiating linearly polarized light to a film obtained from polyamic acid or a derivative thereof having a photoisomerization structure in the main chain or a film being subject to heat-baking so as to provide alignment-controlling capability, and the liquid crystal layer is a liquid crystal composition having negative (−) dielectric anisotropy. By the present invention, a liquid crystal display device having improved image sticking characteristics and good alignment stability is provided.

Provided are a liquid crystal cell and a use thereof. An exemplary liquid crystal cell can be implemented in a bistable mode switching between a haze mode and a non-haze mode even with low driving voltage. Such a liquid crystal cell can be applied to various optical modulation apparatus, such as a smart window, a window protection film, a flexible display element, an active retarder for a 3D visual display, and a viewing angle-controlling film.

Provided is an optically anisotropic layer having an excellent surface condition, with which an image display device having an excellent contrast can be manufactured; and an optical film, a polarizing plate, and an image display device, each having the optically anisotropic layer. The optically anisotropic layer is obtained by immobilizing a polymerizable liquid crystal composition including a polymerizable rod-shaped liquid crystal compound exhibiting a liquid crystal state of a smectic phase and an additive in a liquid crystal state of a smectic phase, in which a molecular length A (Å) of the polymerizable rod-shaped liquid crystal compound, a layer interval B (Å) of the smectic phase of the optically anisotropic layer, and a molecular length C (Å) of the additive satisfy a relationship of Expression (1-1), 0.5×B≤C≤0.6×A . . . (1-1).

There is provided a laminate including, in the following order, a protective layer, a base material, a reflective layer having a maximum reflection wavelength in a wavelength range of 380 nm to 2,000 nm, and an adhesive layer, in which in a case where a modulus of elasticity of the protective layer is denoted by E1, a modulus of elasticity of the base material is denoted by E2, and a modulus of elasticity of the adhesive layer is denoted by E3, a relationship of E1≥E2>E3 is satisfied. The laminate is preferably a layer having an uneven structure, and more preferably the uneven structure has an uneven structure having a depth of 1 μm or more.

Provided is a liquid crystal composition capable of forming an optically anisotropic layer, and method thereof, in which a variation in a twisted angle of liquid crystal compound in an in-plane direction is suppressed an optical film, and a circularly polarizing plate for an organic EL display. The liquid crystal composition contains a liquid crystal, optically active compound A which is a photosensitive optically active compound whose helical twisting power changes upon irradiation with light and has a molar absorption coefficient of 5,000 M.sup.−1.Math.cm.sup.−1 or more with respect to light having a wavelength of 365 nm, and an optically active compound B having a molar absorption coefficient with respect to light having a wavelength of 365 nm smaller than the molar absorption coefficient of the optically active compound A, in which a mass content ratio of the optically active compound A to the liquid crystal compound is less than 0.01.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a cholesteric liquid crystal layer, which is capable of freely controlling a tilt angle of an arrangement direction of bright portion and dark portion derived from a cholesteric liquid crystalline phase with respect to a normal line of a main surface of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer; a cholesteric liquid crystal layer; an optically anisotropic body; and a reflective film.

The method for producing a cholesteric liquid crystal layer according to the present invention includes a step X of forming a cholesteric liquid crystal layer A in which a liquid crystal compound is aligned into a state of a cholesteric liquid crystalline phase, satisfying all of the conditions 1 to 3, and a step Y of carrying out a treatment to increase or decrease a helical pitch of the cholesteric liquid crystalline phase in the cholesteric liquid crystal layer A obtained by the step X to increase or decrease a tilt angle of an arrangement direction of bright portion and dark portion derived from the cholesteric liquid crystalline phase, as observed in a cross-section perpendicular to a main surface of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer A, with respect to a normal direction of the main surface of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer A.

The spontaneous orientation aid for a liquid crystal composition provides storage stability and allows liquid crystal molecules to be vertically aligned without a PI layer when added to a liquid crystal composition. When used in a liquid crystal composition, the spontaneous orientation aid can adsorb to substrates sandwiching a liquid crystal composition (liquid crystal layer) and keep the liquid crystal molecules aligned in a vertical direction. The spontaneous orientation aid makes it possible to align liquid crystal molecules without a PI layer (to induce vertical alignment of liquid crystal molecules under no applied voltage and to achieve horizontal alignment of the liquid crystal molecules under an applied voltage).