The invention relates to bimesogenic compounds of formula I ##STR00001##
wherein R.sup.11, R.sup.12, MG.sup.11, MG.sup.12, X.sup.11, X.sup.12 and Sp.sup.1 have the meaning given in claim 1, to the use of bimesogenic compounds of formula l in liquid crystal media and particular to flexoelectric liquid crystal devices comprising a liquid crystal medium according to the present invention.

A liquid-crystalline medium having a nematic phase, a dielectric anisotropy of 0.5 or more and a ratio of the dielectric constant perpendicular to the director (?.sub.?) to the dielectric anisotropy (??), i.e. (?.sub.?/??), of 2.0 or less and comprises one or more compounds of formula I: ##STR00001##
wherein the parameters have the meaning given in the text. An electro-optical display containing such a medium, particularly in an active-matrix display based on the IPS or FFS effect. Methods for using of the compounds of formula I for improvement of the transmission and/or response times of a liquid-crystalline medium which comprises one or more additional mesogenic compounds.

The present invention relates to an LC medium comprising and a liquid-crystalline host consisting of an LC component H) comprising one or more mesogenic or liquid-crystalline compounds and an optically active component D) and optionally a polymerizable component P) comprising one or more polymerizable compounds; and to the use of the polymerizable compounds and LC media for optical, electro-optical and electronic purposes, in particular in LC displays, especially in LC displays of the polymer sustained alignment type.

There is provided a compound represented by General Formula (I), a composition containing the compound represented by General Formula (I), a cured product, an optically anisotropic body, an optical element, and a light guide element. P.sup.1 and P.sup.2 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, CN, NCS, or a polymerizable group. Sp.sup.1 and Sp.sup.2 each independently represent a single bond or a specific linking group, Z.sup.1 represents a specific linking group. However, two or more Z.sup.1's represent C?C. Two Z's bonded to A.sup.2 in Z-A.sup.2-Z in General Formula (I) do not represent C?C. A.sup.1 and A.sup.2 each independently represent a specific group. A plurality of A.sup.2's may be the same or different from each other. n represents an integer of 3 to 7.

##STR00001##

An object of the present invention is to provide an optical film having an optically anisotropic layer having excellent durability, and a polarizing plate and an image display device using the same. An optical film of the present invention includes an optically anisotropic layer, an overcoat layer, and a pressure sensitive adhesive layer in this order, in which the optically anisotropic layer is a layer obtained by polymerizing a polymerizable liquid crystal composition containing a liquid crystal compound having a polymerizable group and a polymerization initiator, the overcoat layer is a layer obtained by curing a polyfunctional polymerizable monomer having two or more polymerizable groups, and a molecular weight per polymerizable group in the polyfunctional polymerizable monomer is 140 or less.

To suppress a phenomenon where an optical axis of the optically anisotropic layer is tilted when the optically anisotropic layer is produced by using a liquid crystalline compound showing smectic phase as a materials showing a higher level of orderliness. An optically anisotropic layer wherein a polymerizable composition, containing one or more polymerizable rod-like liquid crystal compound showing a smectic phase, is fixed in a state of smectic phase, and a direction of maximum refractive index of the optically anisotropic layer is inclined at 10 or smaller to the surface of the optically anisotropic layer, a method for manufacturing the same, a laminate and a method for manufacturing the same, a polarizing plate, a liquid crystal display device, and an organic EL display device.

An object of the present invention is to provide a composition that realizes high n, has a wide liquid crystal phase temperature range, small viscosity, excellent low-temperature solubility, and high resistivity and voltage holding ratio, and is stable against heat and light, and to provide a liquid crystal composition having an excellent lens effect and excellent chemical stability using the composition, and a liquid crystal display device and a liquid crystal lens that use the liquid crystal composition. The present invention provides a liquid crystal composition that contains one or two or more compounds represented by general formula (i) and one or two or more compounds represented by general formula (ii), a liquid crystal display device using the liquid crystal composition, a liquid crystal lens using the liquid crystal composition, and a birefringence lens for stereoscopic image display using the liquid crystal composition.

Compounds of formula I ##STR00001##
their use in liquid-crystalline media, for example, for the phase shifting of microwaves for tunable phased-array antennae, and their use for high-frequency components, in particular antennae, especially for the gigahertz range.

To suppress a phenomenon where an optical axis of the optically anisotropic layer is tilted when the optically anisotropic layer is produced by using a liquid crystalline compound showing smectic phase as a materials showing a higher level of orderliness. An optically anisotropic layer wherein a polymerizable composition, containing one or more polymerizable rod-like liquid crystal compound showing a smectic phase, is fixed in a state of smectic phase, and a direction of maximum refractive index of the optically anisotropic layer is inclined at 10? or smaller to the surface of the optically anisotropic layer, a method for manufacturing the same, a laminate and a method for manufacturing the same, a polarizing plate, a liquid crystal display device, and an organic EL display device.

To suppress a phenomenon where an optical axis of the optically anisotropic layer is tilted when the optically anisotropic layer is produced by using a liquid crystalline compound showing smectic phase as a materials showing a higher level of orderliness. An optically anisotropic layer wherein a polymerizable composition, containing one or more polymerizable rod-like liquid crystal compound showing a smectic phase, is fixed in a state of smectic phase, and a direction of maximum refractive index of the optically anisotropic layer is inclined at 10? or smaller to the surface of the optically anisotropic layer, a method for manufacturing the same, a laminate and a method for manufacturing the same, a polarizing plate, a liquid crystal display device, and an organic EL display device.