The present invention relates to a liquid crystal aligning agent which contains a polymer that has a site having an isocyanate group and/or a blocked isocyanate group, a site having a photoreactive group having photoalignment, and a site having at least one functional group selected from an amino group and a hydroxyl group in each molecule. The present invention provides a liquid crystal display element which enables baking at low temperatures during the formation of a liquid crystal alignment film by a photoalignment method, the liquid crystal alignment film being able to be imparted with alignment regulating property and pretilt angle developing property.

A polyamic acid composition is polymerized by dianhydride monomers and diamine monomers. A range of molar ratio of the dianhydride monomers to the diamine monomers is from 0.9 to 1.1. The diamine monomers have a combination of specific functional groups containing at least one nitrogen heterocycle structure, at least one liquid crystal structure, and at least one soft structure, wherein the diamine monomer containing nitrogen heterocycle structure has a molar weight percentage of 3% to 8% of a total molar weight of the diamine monomers, and the diamine monomers containing at least one liquid crystal structure and at least one soft structure have a molar weight percentage of 92% to 97% of the total molar weight of the diamine monomers. The disclosure further relates to a polyimide film, a copper clad laminate, and a printed circuit board.

An object of the present invention is to provide an optical film which is excellent in the adhesiveness between a polymer support and a photo alignment film and in which a liquid crystal compound having reverse wavelength dispersibility is uniformly aligned. Another object of the present invention is to provide a polarizing plate formed of the optical film, and an image display device formed of the optical film or the polarizing plate.

An optical film according to an embodiment of the present invention is obtained by laminating, in the following order: a polymer support containing an additive; a photo alignment film; and an optically anisotropic film, the optically anisotropic film is formed of a polymerizable liquid crystal composition containing a polymerizable liquid crystal compound having reverse wavelength dispersibility, and an amount of a component derived from the additive of the polymer support, which is contained in a boundary region with the optically anisotropic film in the photo alignment film is 0.10 to 0.50 mass % with respect to a total mass of the photo alignment film.

The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device whose liquid crystal layer is prevented from undergoing a phase transition while the device is on. A liquid crystal display device according to the present invention includes a first substrate having a thin-film transistor element, a heatsink film overlapping the thin-film transistor element, a first alignment film, a liquid crystal layer, and a second substrate in order. The heatsink film contains a liquid-crystalline polymer as the polymerized form of a liquid-crystalline monomer and also contains inorganic fine particles, and the liquid-crystalline polymer is aligned in-plane with respect to the heatsink film. Preferably, the liquid-crystalline monomer is represented by a specified chemical formula.

Described herein are heterocyclic liquid crystal compositions that can allow for the adjustment of their refractive indices by the application of an electric field. In addition, selectively dimmable reverse-mode polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) elements and devices using these compositions are also described, which are transparent when no voltage is applied and opaque when a voltage is applied.

A liquid crystal cell includes a pair of substrates, a liquid crystal layer, and a sealant. The pair of substrates includes opposing surfaces on which a photo-alignment film is provided. The liquid crystal layer is interposed between the substrates. The sealant is interposed between the substrates so as to surround the liquid crystal layer. The photo-alignment film contains a polymer having a polyamic acid as a main chain and a photo-functional group. The liquid crystal layer contains: a first liquid crystal compound having an unsaturated bond; and a second liquid crystal compound containing at least one compound selected from the group consisting of: a compound represented by a formula (I): A1-CnF2nB-A2; and a compound represented by a formula (II): A1-BCnF2n+1, where n, A1, A2 and B are as defined herein.

Three-dimensional structures of stably associated mesogenic ligand-functionalized nanoparticles are provided. Compositions that include these structures, as well as methods of making the structures are also provided. The structures, compositions and methods find use in a variety of applications, such as light emitting devices (e.g., video displays, lights, etc.), inks, photonics and encapsulation technologies.

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.

A polar compound having high chemical stability, high capability of aligning liquid crystal molecules, high solubility in a liquid crystal composition, and a large voltage holding ratio when the compound is used in a liquid crystal display device; and a composition containing the compound. The compound is represented by formula (1). In formula (1), for example, P.sup.1 is a group represented by any one of formulas (1b) to (1i), P.sup.2 is a group represented by formula (1d), Sp.sup.1 and Sp.sup.2 are a single bond, Z.sup.1, Z.sup.2, Z.sup.3, Z.sup.4 and Z.sup.5 are COO, and ring A.sup.1, ring A.sup.2, ring A.sup.3 and ring A.sup.4 are 1,4-phenylene:

##STR00001##

The invention relates to a medium comprising one or more compounds of formula I,

R.sup.11-A.sup.11-A.sup.12-(CH.sub.2).sub.s-A.sup.13-A.sup.14-R.sup.12I

in a concentration of up to 30% or less,
and one or more compounds of formula II,

R.sup.21-A.sup.21-A.sup.22-(A.sup.23).sub.u-Z.sup.21(CH.sub.2).sub.tZ.sup.22-A.sup.24-A.sup.25-A.sup.26-R.sup.22II

in a concentration of 10% or more,
wherein R.sup.11 to R.sup.22, A.sup.11 to A.sup.26, Z.sup.21, Z.sup.22, s, t, and u have one of the meanings as given in claim 1, to a method of production of such a media, to the use of such media in liquid crystal devices, in particular in flexoelectric liquid crystal devices, and to a flexoelectric liquid crystal device comprising a medium according to the present invention.