The present invention provides a method for producing a cholesteric liquid crystal film capable of producing a cholesteric liquid crystal film which is formed into a predetermined shape without cracks and exhibits a high modulus of elasticity. The method for producing a cholesteric liquid crystal film according to the present invention includes step 1 of forming a coating film which includes a liquid crystal compound A having a first reactive group and a second reactive group that is different from the first reactive group or which includes a liquid crystal compound B having the first reactive group and a liquid crystal compound C having the second reactive group, step 2 of forming a cholesteric liquid crystalline phase in the coating film, step 3 of allowing the first reactive group to react to cure the coating film, step 4 of forming the coating film obtained in the step 3, and step 5 of allowing the second reactive group to react to produce a cholesteric liquid crystal film.

A liquid crystal composition without requiring an alignment film or alignment treatment on a substrate. The problem is solved by a low molecular weight polar compound capable of homogeneously aligning a liquid crystal medium relative to the substrate, for example, a low molecular weight polar compound represented by formula (1):
M-P(1) In formula (1), M is a nonpolar group having 1 or more carbons, and P is a polar group.

Liquid-crystalline media comprising one or more compounds of formula T

##STR00001##

as defined in claim 1, and high-frequency components comprising these media, especially microwave components for high-frequency devices, such as devices for shifting the phase of microwaves, tunable filters, tunable metamaterial structures, and electronic beam steering antennas, e.g. phased array antennas.

A liquid crystal cell according to the present invention includes a TFT board including a first dielectric substrate, TFTs supported by the first dielectric substrate, and patch electrodes, a slot board including a second dielectric substrate and a slot electrode having slots and supported by the second dielectric substrate, and a liquid crystal layer between the TFT board and the slot board, which are positioned with the patch electrodes and the slot electrode facing each other, and a sealant disposed between the TFT board and the slot board and surrounding the liquid crystal layer. The liquid crystal layer includes a liquid crystal compound containing an isothiocyanate group. The sealant includes an ene-thiol compound in which an ene compound and a thiol compound are bonded by using a radical.

There is provided an element which has large dielectric anisotropy and low dielectric loss in a high frequency range, has high reliability, and is used for phase control of an electromagnetic wave signal with a frequency of 1 MHz to 400 THz. An element in which a liquid crystal composition contains a compound represented by the following Formula (1) and has a refractive index anisotropy of 0.30 or more at a wavelength of 589 nm, and a polyimide alignment film contains 10% or more of a repeating unit represented by the following Formula (2) with respect to all repeating units:

##STR00001##

A liquid crystal display device having a liquid crystal composition, requiring neither an alignment film nor alignment treatment on a substrate. The problem is solved by a low molecular weight polar compound for homogeneously aligning a liquid crystal medium relative to the substrate, for example, the low molecular weight polar compound represented by formula (1).
Formula 95
M-P(1) In formula (1), M is a nonpolar group having 1 or more carbons, and P is a polar group.

The problem is to provide a polymerizable compound having suitable polymerization reactivity, a high conversion ratio, low polymerization starting temperature, and high solubility in a liquid crystal composition; a liquid crystal composition containing the compound; and a liquid crystal display device including the composition.

A means thereof includes a compound represented by formula (1) and a liquid crystal composition containing the compound.

##STR00001##

In formula (1), R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are independently alkyl or the like; n is 0 or the like; ring A.sup.1 is phenyl or the like, and ring A.sup.2 and ring A.sup.3 are independently 1,4-phenylene or the like; Z.sup.1 and Z.sup.2 are independently a single bond or the like; Sp.sup.1 to Sp.sup.4 are a single bond or the like; a is 1 or the like; c, d and e are independently 0 or 1, and a sum of c, d and e is 1 or the like; and P.sup.1 to P.sup.4 are a polymerizable group, and at least one of P.sup.1 to P.sup.4 is a polymerizable group represented by formula (P-1).

##STR00002##

The present invention relates to compounds of formula M

##STR00001##

in which R.sup.M has the meaning indicated in claim 1, to liquid crystal mixture comprising the same, to the use of these liquid-crystal media, in particular in components for high-frequency technology, and to components of this type which contain media according to the invention, and to the production and use of these components. The components according to the invention are suitable, in particular, as phase shifters in the microwave and millimetre wave region, for microwave and millimetre wave array antennae and very particularly for so-called tunable reflectarrays.

The present invention relates to liquid-crystalline media comprising one or more pleochroic compounds, and one or more compounds selected from the group of compounds of formulae I, II and III,

##STR00001##

in which the groups have the meanings as set forth in claim 1, and to components comprising these media for high-frequency technology, in particular phase shifters and microwave array antennas.

A means is a compound represented by formula (1) , a liquid crystal composition containing the compound, and a liquid crystal display device including the composition.

##STR00001##

In formula (1), R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are independently alkyl having 1 to 15 carbons or the like; ring A.sup.1, ring A.sup.2 and ring A.sup.3 are independently 1,4-cyclohexylene, 1,4-phenylene or the like; and Z.sup.1, Z.sup.2 and Z.sup.3 are independently a single bond or the like.