Mesogenic compounds having a structure of Formula (I), (II) or (III): where A, B, X1, L, TG, m, and n are defined as in claim 1. Compositions containing these compounds, articles made from these polymerized and prepolymerized compositions, and methods of estimating the elastic constants and anchoring constants of a liquid crystal materials and mapping topological defect structures in liquid crystals using these compounds. ##STR00001##

Provided is a liquid crystal composition capable of suppressing a decrease in phase transition temperature from a smectic phase to a nematic phase and suppressing alignment defects in a liquid crystal cured layer thus formed, a liquid crystal cured layer, an optical film, a polarizing plate, and an image display device. The liquid crystal composition includes a liquid crystal compound exhibiting a smectic phase and a freezing point depressant, in which the liquid crystal compound is a compound represented by Formula (I) SP1-MG-SP2, and the liquid crystal composition satisfies Expression (1) |Am−Asl≥0.2 and Expression (2-1) in a case of Am≤As, Aa≥(Am+As)/2 or Expression (2-2) in a case of Am>As, Aa≤(Am+As)/2.

Provided is a liquid crystal compound that can obtain a high-speed response and a sufficient contrast ratio in switching of a display device. A compound represented by formula (1) described below is utilized.

##STR00001##

In formula (1), ring A is naphthylene, phenantolylene or anthracenylene, and in the groups, at least one piece of hydrogen may be replaced by halogen, —CH.sub.3, —C.sub.2H.sub.5, —CF.sub.3, —CHF.sub.2, —CH.sub.2F, —OCF.sub.3, —OCHF.sub.2 or —OCH.sub.2F; and X.sup.1, X.sup.2, X.sup.3, X.sup.4, X.sup.5, Y.sup.1, Y.sup.2, Y.sup.3, Y.sup.4 and Y.sup.5 are independently hydrogen or fluorine, but at least two or more of X.sup.1, X.sup.2, X.sup.3, X.sup.4, X.sup.5, Y.sup.1, Y.sup.2, Y.sup.3, Y.sup.4 and Y.sup.5 is fluorine.

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.

The present invention relates to a liquid crystal composition for a light-scattering liquid crystal device shown in FIG. 1 containing a polymerizable compound selected from the group consisting of compounds represented by the following general formula (1) as a first component and containing a compound having a negative dielectric anisotropy as a second component, a light-scattering liquid crystal device using the liquid crystal composition, and a smart window using the light-scattering liquid crystal device. A reverse mode type light-scattering liquid crystal device can have excellent transparency when no voltage is applied and a reduced driving voltage by the liquid crystal composition of the present invention.

The present invention relates to mesogen compounds that include a first mesogen (Mesogen-1) and a second mesogen (Mesogen-2) that are connected by a linking group (-L-), as represented by the following Formula (I):

##STR00001##

Mesogen-1, and optionally Mesogen-2, each independently include the following terminal group,

##STR00002##

where R is hydrogen, alkyl, or alkoxy. Mesogen-2 optionally includes a terminal group P-, which is selected from R, acrylate, methacrylate, trihalomethacrylate, oxirane, hydroxyl, carboxylic acid, and carboxylic acid ester. Mesogen-1 and Mesogen-2 together include a total of at least seven, or at least eight, cyclic groups. In some cases, Mesogen-1 and Mesengen-2 are the same. The present invention also relates to liquid crystal compositions that include such mesogen compounds, and to optical elements that include such mesogen compounds.

The disclosure provides a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, a manufacturing method thereof, and an LCD device. The LCD panel adopts a structure with multiple electrodes and dual-frequency liquid crystals. When a temperature of the LCD panel is low (below 0° C.), the LCD panel is driven at high frequency, so that it emits more heat. Therefore, a working temperature of the LCD panel is increased without adding a heating element. LCD devices using such LCD panels have wide working temperature ranges, and are well suited to be used outdoors.

The present invention relates to liquid crystal media comprising polymerisable mesogenic compounds with a bent shape, and to electro-optical displays comprising these media as light modulation media. In particular the electro-optical displays according to the present invention are displays, which are operated at a temperature, at which the liquid crystal modulation media are in an optically isotropic phase, preferably in a blue phase.

There is provided a polymerizable compound-containing liquid crystal composition having strong alignment regulating force of a liquid crystal compound. The polymerizable compound-containing liquid crystal composition includes: a polymerizable compound; and a liquid crystal compound, in which the polymerizable compound includes at least one polymerizable compound represented by General Formula (I), and in which the liquid crystal compound includes at least one component selected from the group consisting of at least one compound represented by General Formula (II) as a second component, at least one compound represented by General Formulae (IIIa), (IIIb), and (IIIc) as a third component, and at least one compound represented by General Formulae (IVa), (IVb), and (IVc) as a fourth component.

The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device that includes a particular color filter containing a material containing chiral liquid crystals and a particular pigment. The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device that can prevent a decrease in the voltage holding ratio (VHR) of a liquid crystal layer and solve the problem of display defects, such as white spots, variations in alignment, and burn-in. Because liquid crystal display devices according to the present invention characteristically prevent a decrease in the voltage holding ratio (VHR) of a liquid crystal layer and reduces the occurrence of display defects, such as burn-in, the liquid crystal display devices are particularly useful as liquid crystal display devices in IPS mode and FFS mode for active-matrix driving and can be applied to household electrical appliances, automobiles, production facilities, measuring and analytical instruments, and communication devices.