The invention relates to a polymerisable LC material comprising one or more di- or multireactive mesogenic compounds and one or more compounds of formula TRI,

##STR00001##

wherein the individual radicals have one of the meaning as given in the claims. Furthermore, the present invention relates also to a method for its preparation, a polymer film with improved thermal durability and UV stability obtainable from the corresponding polymerisable LC material, to a method of preparation of such polymer film, and to the use of such polymer film and said polymerisable LC material for optical, electro-optical, decorative or security devices.

The present invention relates to polymers that include residues of at least one monomer represented by the following Formula (I). With reference to Formula (I), at least one of E1 and E2 independently is, or is independently substituted with, at least one reactive group, such as a (meth)acryloyl group. Monomers represented by Formula (I) and monomer residues thereof have alignment properties, such as photoalignment properties. The present invention also relates to alignment layers that include such polymers, and articles of manufacture, such as optical elements, that include one or more such alignment layers. ##STR00001##

An optically anisotropic layer is formed by a liquid crystal compound represented by General Formula 1, in which the long axes of the molecules are oriented. ##STR00001##
wherein L.sub.1 and L.sub.2 independently represent a linking group having a carbonyl group; F.sub.1 and F.sub.2 independently represent an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or a halogen atom; n and m independently represent an integer from 0 to 4; a and b independently represent an integer from 1 to 4; T.sub.1 and T.sub.2 independently represent a spacer portion including a straight chain or branched alkylene or alkylene oxide group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms; and Ar represents a divalent group having at least one aromatic ring selected from a group consisting of aromatic hydrocarbon rings and aromatic heterocycles, the number of Π electrons in the Ar group being 8 or greater.

Provided are a polymerizable composition of a polymerizable compound represented by formula I and a polymerizable compound represented by formula II, a liquid crystal composition formed by combining this polymerizable composition with a specific liquid crystal component, particularly a PSVA liquid crystal composition suitable for display or TV applications, and a PSA-IPS liquid crystal composition for an IPS mode; in particular, the polymerizable liquid crystal composition has a good solubility, and an adjustable rate of polymerization and morphology after polymerization; furthermore, a “material system” formed from the selected polymerizable component and liquid crystal component has a low rotary viscosity and good photoelectric properties, and has a high VHR after (UV) photoradiation, this avoiding the problems of the occurrence of afterimages in final displays, etc.

A polarizing plate and a display device including the same. The polarizing plate includes a retardation layer exhibiting ultraviolet blocking characteristics even in a state where the retardation layer does not include any ultraviolet absorber or light stabilizer. The polarizing plate can be used alone or in combination with an appropriate sunscreen or a light stabilizer as needed to selectively block ultraviolet rays in a region requiring blocking, without affecting display performance, such as color senses and image quality, of a display device. The polarizing plate can also be formed with a small thickness without requiring a separate ultraviolet blocking layer, and also has excellent durability, because the polarizing plate exhibits a certain ultraviolet blocking property even in the absence of an ultraviolet absorber or light stabilizer.

An identification medium comprising a first resin layer and a second resin layer in this order from a viewing side, wherein the first resin layer contains a first cholesteric liquid crystal resin that is a cured product of a first liquid crystal composition, and the first cholesteric liquid crystal resin selectively reflects light at a wavelength of 700 nm or longer and 900 nm or shorter, the second resin layer contains a second cholesteric liquid crystal resin that is a cured product of a second liquid crystal composition, and the second cholesteric liquid crystal resin selectively reflects light at a wavelength of 400 nm or longer and 500 nm or shorter, and the first resin layer has an average value of light transmittance at a wavelength of 400 nm or longer and 425 nm or shorter of 50% or more and 90% or less.

A laminate film comprising a retardation layer exhibiting blocking characteristics against specific ultraviolet rays even in a state where the retardation layer does not include any ultraviolet absorber or light stabilizer. The laminate film which can be used alone or in combination with an appropriate sunscreen or a light stabilizer as needed to selectively block ultraviolet rays in a region requiring blocking, without affecting display performance, such as color senses and image quality, of a display device. The laminate film can also be formed with a lower thickness without requiring a separate ultraviolet blocking layer, and also has excellent durability, because the laminate film exhibits a certain ultraviolet blocking property even in the absence of an ultraviolet absorber or light stabilizer.

A liquid crystal composition includes at least one of a monofunctional compound represented by Formula (1) defined herein and a monofunctional compound represented by Formula (2) defined herein, and at least one of a difunctional compound represented by Formula (3) defined herein and a multifunctional compound represented by Formula (4) defined herein.

A polymerisable LC material containing one or more di- or multireactive mesogenic compounds, and one or more compounds of formula TRI, ##STR00001## and one or more compounds of formula ND ##STR00002## Furthermore, a method for preparing the polymerisable LC material, and a polymer film with improved thermal durability and UV stability obtainable from the polymerisable LC material, and a method of preparing such polymer film, and using such polymer film and the polymerisable LC material for optical, electro-optical, decorative or security devices.

A container suitable for storing a polymerizable liquid crystal composition liquid intended for providing, after temporal or long-term storage, a liquid crystal cured layer that is homogeneous and hardly causes alignment defects is described. A container containing a polymerizable liquid crystal composition liquid includes a gas phase part and a liquid phase part containing a polymerizable liquid crystal composition liquid. The polymerizable liquid crystal composition liquid contains a polymerizable liquid crystal compound; at least one solvent selected from a ketone solvent, an amide solvent, an ester solvent, and an ether solvent; a photopolymerization initiator, and a polymerization inhibitor in an amount of 0.1% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less based on the polymerizable liquid crystal compound. The gas phase part has an oxygen concentration of 0.05% by volume or more and 20.8% by volume or less.