There is provided a liquid crystal composition which enables a significant reduction in crystallization temperature as compared with addition of a homolog while having a similar skeleton structure, which has an excellent compatibility, and which enables an increase in the absolute value of negative dielectric anisotropy (Δ∈). The liquid crystal composition contains two or more compounds which each have two to four ring structures between two side chains. At least one of the ring structures is a 2,3-difluorobenzene skeleton. The two side chains are bonded to different ring structures. The positions of the 2,3-difluorobenzene skeletons are different from each other, and the number of the ring structures are the same as each other.

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.

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.

A liquid crystal composition containing a polymerizable liquid crystal compound (A) having 5 or more ring structures in its main chain and a polymer (B) of the polymerizable liquid crystal compound (A) having 5 or more ring structures in its main chain, which inhibits occurrence of an orientation defect of a liquid crystal compound and exhibits excellent storage stability when dissolved in a solvent is provided.

Shown is a liquid crystal composition satisfying at least one of characteristics such as a high maximum temperature, a low minimum temperature, a large elastic constant, a suitable optical anisotropy and a large negative dielectric anisotropy, or has a suitable balance regarding at least two of the characteristics, and an AM device including the composition. The liquid crystal composition may contain a specific compound having a high maximum temperature, a low minimum temperature, a large elastic constant and a large negative dielectric anisotropy as a first component, a specific compound having a high maximum temperature or a small viscosity as a second component, a specific compound having negative dielectric anisotropy as a third component, or a specific compound having a polymerizable group as an additive component.

An optical film, a polarizing plate, and an image display device, each having an optically anisotropic layer obtained by curing a polymerizable liquid crystal composition including a polymerizable liquid crystal compound (LCC) having forward wavelength dispersion and a monofunctional compound, and immobilizing an alignment state of the polymerizable LCC. The number a.sub.1 of atoms of the polymerizable LCC and the number a.sub.2 of atoms of the monofunctional compound satisfy a relationship of Expression (1): 0.2<a.sub.2/a.sub.1<0.55; the number b.sub.1 of the rings B.sup.1 contained in the polymerizable LCC and the total number b.sub.2 of the aromatic rings Ar and the rings B.sup.2 contained in the monofunctional compound satisfy a relationship of Expression (2): b.sub.2=b.sub.1×0.5 or b.sub.2=(b.sub.1+1)×0.5.

Reactive mesogens (RMs), mixtures and formulations comprising RMs, polymers obtained from such RMs and RM mixtures, and the use of the RMs, RM mixtures and polymers in optical or electrooptical components or devices, like optical films for liquid crystal displays (LCDs).

Provided is an optically anisotropic layer having an excellent surface condition, with which an image display device having an excellent contrast can be manufactured; and an optical film, a polarizing plate, and an image display device, each having the optically anisotropic layer. The optically anisotropic layer is obtained by immobilizing a polymerizable liquid crystal composition including a polymerizable rod-shaped liquid crystal compound exhibiting a liquid crystal state of a smectic phase and an additive in a liquid crystal state of a smectic phase, in which a molecular length A (Å) of the polymerizable rod-shaped liquid crystal compound, a layer interval B (Å) of the smectic phase of the optically anisotropic layer, and a molecular length C (Å) of the additive satisfy a relationship of Expression (1-1), 0.5×B≤C≤0.6×A . . . (1-1).

A liquid crystal composition includes at least one compound of general Formula I, at least one compound of general Formula II and at least one compound of general Formula M. The polymerizable liquid crystal composition provides a higher VHR (especially an excellent VHR after UV irradiation), a lower surface roughness of the polymer layer, a faster polymerization rate, a lower residual amount of the polymerizable compound and a better pretilt angle stability, which enables the production of a liquid crystal display device with a better voltage stability and a faster response speed, and can effectively reduce or prevent the occurrences of problems such as “burn-in”, “image sticking”, “Zara Particle” and “uneven display” in the liquid crystal display device. A liquid crystal display includes the liquid crystal composition. ##STR00001##

The invention relates to a polymerisable LC material comprising at least one di- or multireactive mesogenic compound and at least one compound of formula I,

##STR00001##

in which the parameter R.sup.1, A.sup.1, Z.sup.1, Z.sup.2, n, Sp, P, p1, p2, L.sup.1, L.sup.2, r1, r2, m and R.sup.2 have one of the meanings as given in claim 1. Furthermore, the present invention relates also to a method for the preparation of a polymerisable LC material, a polymer film obtainable from the corresponding polymerisable LC material, to a method of preparation of such polymer film, and to the use of such polymer film and said polymerisable LC material for optical, electro-optical, decorative or security devices.