The present invention relates to liquid-crystalline media (LC media) having negative or positive dielectric anisotropy comprising self-alignment additives (SAMs) with an at least one bifunctional or polyfunctional anchor group, which effects the homeotropic (vertical) alignment of the LC media at a surface or the cell walls of a liquid-crystal display (LC display). The invention therefore also encompasses LC displays having homeotropic alignment of the liquid-crystalline medium (LC medium) without conventional imide alignment layers. The LC media may be supplemented by a polymerizable or polymerized component, which serves for stabilization of the alignment, for adjustment of the tilt angle and/or as passivation layer.

A display device including a first substrate, a second substrate facing the first substrate, and a liquid crystal layer provided between the first substrate and the second substrate. The liquid crystal layer has a value of rotation viscosity (γl)/bending modulus of elasticity (K33) of about 6.0 to about 6.4 mPa*s/pN.

The invention relates to a liquid-crystalline medium having a nematic phase comprising one or more compounds of formula X

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wherein the parameters have the meaning given in the text, to the use thereof in an electro-optical display, particularly in an active-matrix display based on the IPS or FFS effect, to displays of this type which contain a liquid-crystalline medium of this type and to the use of the compounds of formula X for improvement of the transmission and/or response times of a liquid-crystalline medium which comprises one or more additional mesogenic compounds, as well as to the compounds of formula X.

The invention relates to a liquid-crystalline medium and to the use thereof for an active-matrix display, in particular based on the VA, PSA, PS-VA, PM-VA, SS-VA, PALC, IPS, PS-IPS, FFS or PS-FFS effect.

There is provided a liquid crystal composition containing at least one compound represented by General Formula (a). There is also provided a liquid crystal display device using such a liquid crystal composition. The liquid crystal composition of the present invention has the following properties without suffering reductions in refractive index anisotropy (Δn) and nematic phase-isotropic liquid phase transition temperature (T.sub.ni): sufficiently low viscosity (η), sufficiently low rotational viscosity (γ.sub.1), a large elastic constant (K.sub.33), a high voltage holding ratio after UV exposure (VHR (UV)), and a negative dielectric anisotropy (Δ∈) with a large absolute value. A liquid crystal display device of, for example, a VA type that uses such a liquid crystal composition has a high response speed and excellent display quality with defective display being eliminated or reduced.

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The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display that incorporates a particular liquid crystal composition and a sealant in which a cured form of a particular curable resin composition is used. The present invention provides a liquid crystal display that prevents reduced voltage holding ratio (VHR) and increased ionic density (ID) in the liquid crystal layer and solves the problems of display defects such as voids, alignment irregularities, and image-sticking. Liquid crystal displays according to the present invention, featuring the ability to prevent reduced voltage holding ratio (VHR) in the liquid crystal layer and reduce the occurrence of display defects such as alignment irregularities and image-sticking, are useful particularly to liquid crystal displays in the IPS and FFS modes for active matrix drive and applicable to liquid crystal displays of equipment such as liquid crystal TVs, monitors, mobile phones, and smartphones.

The present invention provides a liquid crystal composition including at least one compound represented by General Formula (1), at least one compound represented by General Formula (2), and at least one compound represented by General Formula (LC1).

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The liquid crystal composition of the present invention has high refractive index anisotropy (Δn) and sufficiently low viscosity (η), achieves a wide nematic phase temperature range by suppressing a decrease in nematic phase-isotropic liquid phase transition temperature (T.sub.ni), and exhibits high compatibility. By using the liquid crystal composition of the present invention in a liquid crystal display element, a liquid crystal display element having a high response speed and high practical reliability can be obtained.

The present invention relates to liquid crystalline (LC) medium, to a method of its production and to the use of such LC media in polymer network liquid crystalline (PNLC) light modulation elements operated in the normally transparent mode. Furthermore, the present invention relates to such light modulation elements, as such, to the use of such light modulation elements as light shutters for transparent OLED displays, to the use of such light modulation elements in smart windows, and to a method of production of such light modulation elements according to the present invention.

There is provided a liquid crystal display device which enables reductions in image sticking and droplet stains caused in production thereof without degradation of properties such as dielectric anisotropy, viscosity, the upper limit of the temperature of nematic phase, and rotational viscosity (γ.sub.1); and there is also provided a method for manufacturing such a liquid crystal display device. The liquid crystal display device is characterized in that a liquid crystal layer containing a liquid crystal composition is disposed between a substrate provided with a common electrode and a color filter layer and another substrate provided with a plurality of pixels each having a pixel electrode, each of the substrates is not provided with an alignment film but provided with an orientation controlling layer composed of at least two polymerizable compounds, each of the pixels has two or more regions having different directions of pretilt, and the liquid crystal composition contains a compound represented by General Formula (I) and a compound represented by General Formula (II).

Disclosed are a liquid crystal (LC) medium containing a polymerisable compound, a process for its preparation, its use for optical, electro-optical and electronic purposes, in particular in LC displays, especially in an LC display of the polymer sustained alignment (PSA) type, and to an LC display, especially a PSA display.