The present invention relates to a reverse wavelength dispersion compound, a reverse wavelength dispersion composition including the same, and an optically anisotropic body including the same. The reverse wavelength dispersion composition according to the present invention can provide a stronger and more stable reverse wavelength dispersion property, and makes it possible to provide an optically anisotropic body having excellent optical properties.

A polar compound has a high chemical stability, high ability to align liquid crystal molecules and high solubility in a liquid crystal composition, and causes no decrease of liquid crystallinity of the liquid crystal composition, a liquid crystal composition contains the compound, and a liquid crystal display device includes the composition. The compound is represented by formula (1), the composition contains the compound, and the liquid crystal display device uses the composition. ##STR00001## In formula (1), R.sup.1 is alkyl having 3 to 15 carbons, alkenyl having 4 to 15 carbons or the like; a is an integer from 2 to 12; and R.sup.2 is a group represented by formula (1a), formula (1b) or formula (1c). ##STR00002## In the formulas, S.sup.1 and S.sup.2 are independently a single bond, alkylene having 1 to 10 carbons; S.sup.3 is >CH— or >N—; S.sup.4 is >C< or >Si<; and X.sup.1 is —OH, —NH.sub.2 or the like.

A problem of the present invention is to provide a polymerizable compound and a polymerizable composition which cause little decrease in retardation and discoloration when a film-shaped polymer produced by polymerization is irradiated with ultraviolet/visible light for a long time at high temperature. A further problem is to provide a polymer produced by polymerizing the polymerizable composition and an optically anisotropic body using the polymer. As a result, a compound useful as a component of a polymerizable composition was obtained. An optically anisotropic body using a polymerizable liquid crystal composition containing the compound of the present invention is useful for application to an optical film and the like.

There is provided a liquid crystal composition including at least one compound represented by General Formula (i) and at least one compound represented by General Formula (N). The total amount of the compound represented by General Formula (i) is 10% by mass or greater. In the liquid crystal composition and the liquid crystal display element using the composition, the liquid crystal composition has a positive Δ∈ and a flat transmission characteristic curve. Therefore, gradation characteristics are easily controlled. Furthermore, display defects due to burn-in, dropping marks, and the like can be suppressed, and therefore excellent display quality is exhibited. The liquid crystal display element using this liquid crystal composition can be also provided.

The present invention provides a polymerizable composition containing a polymerizable liquid crystal compound represented by Formula (I) and an oxime compound,

##STR00001## in the formula, A.sup.1 and A.sup.2 each represent a phenylene group or a trans-1,4-cyclohexylene group, L.sup.1 and L.sup.2 each represent single bond, —C(═O)O—, or —OC(═O)—, Q.sup.1 and Q.sup.2 each represent a polymerizable group or the like, m and n represent an integer of 0 to 2, X may represent —X.sup.3-Sp.sup.3-Q.sup.3 or two X's may be bonded to each other to form a fused ring, X.sup.3 represents —C(═O)O—, Sp.sup.1, Sp.sup.2, and Sp.sup.3 each represent single bond, an alkylene group, or the like, Q.sup.3 represents hydrogen atom, a cycloalkyl group, a polymerizable group, or the like, and l represents an integer of 0 to 4. The polymerizable composition hardly causes yellowing after curing and is useful for manufacturing a film and a half mirror for displaying a projection image.

A primer for forming a primer layer on the surface of a substrate having surface free energy of 50 mN/m or higher, the primer including a liquid crystalline epoxy compound and a curing agent.

An object of the present invention is to provide an optical film having excellent alignment, and a polarizing plate and an image display device using the same. The optical film of the present invention is an optical film having at least an optically anisotropic layer, and the optically anisotropic layer contains a smectic liquid crystal compound not including a fluorine atom and a compound partially having a cyclohexane ring in which the hydrogen atom is substituted with a linear alkyl group.

The present invention is to find appropriate manufacturing conditions for obtaining a homogeneous scattering state, a homogeneous transparent state, and a homogeneous driving voltage state and to obtain a polymer dispersed liquid crystal display element that has homogeneous properties. A polymer dispersed liquid crystal display element having excellent homogeneity can be obtained by irradiating a light control layer-forming material containing a liquid crystal material and a polymerizable composition with ultraviolet light under specific ultraviolet irradiation conditions to polymerize the polymerizable composition.

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.

There is provided a light control device that solves various practical problems, including the adhesive strength between layers, of a light control device comprising a polymer/liquid crystal composite derived from a polymerizable composition comprising an acrylic monomer and ITO layers. In the light control device, ITO layers are respectively bonded to both surfaces of a polymer/liquid crystal composite material layer in which a liquid crystal material is dispersed in a polymer material obtained by polymerizing an acrylic monomer, an amount of the acrylic monomer is in the range of 30 to 45% by weight based on a total amount of the acrylic monomer and the liquid crystal material, and silane coupling agent layers are respectively interposed between the polymer/liquid crystal composite material layer and the ITO layers.