A method for making a conductive polymer for electromagnetic shielding purposes includes steps of mixing liquid crystal monomers, a silver complex, an initiator, and a catalytic agent in certain proportions by weight to form a mixture. A solvent is added into the mixture, the mixture and the solvent being in a ratio from 3:17 to 1:3 by weight. The mixture is heated to undergo an atom transfer radical polymerization.

An object of the present invention is to provide a composition that has positive Δε, exhibits a liquid crystal phase over a wide temperature range, has low viscosity, excellent solubility at low temperatures, and high resistivity and voltage holding ratio, and is stable against heat and light. By using this composition, IPS or TN liquid crystal display devices and the like that have excellent display quality and suppress display failures such as image-sticking and drop marks are provided in high yield. Provided is a composition that contains at least one selected from the group consisting of compounds represented by general formulae (i) and (ii) and at least one compound represented by general formula (iii). Also provided is a liquid crystal display device that uses the composition and an IPS or FFS device that uses the composition.

The liquid crystal composition has the nematic phase and contains a specific compound having large positive dielectric anisotropy as a first component, and a specific compound having small viscosity as a second component, and may contain a specific compound having large positive dielectric anisotropy as a third component, a specific compound having a high maximum temperature or large positive dielectric anisotropy as a fourth component, or a specific compound having negative dielectric anisotropy as a fifth component, and a liquid crystal display device includes the composition.

The present invention relates to liquid-crystalline media comprising one or more compounds of formula DFS ##STR00001##
in which the groups and parameters occurring have the meanings indicated in claim 1, to high-frequency components comprising same, especially microwave components for high-frequency devices, such as devices for shifting the phase of microwaves, in particular for microwave phased-array antennas. The present invention further relates to novel mesogenic compounds.

The present invention provides a polymerizable liquid crystal composition containing at least one polymerizable liquid crystal compound (I) having one polymerizable functional group in its molecule, at least one polymerizable liquid crystal compound (II) having two polymerizable functional groups in its molecule, and at least one compound (III) having tree or more aromatic rings at least one of which is substituted by an alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms or an alkoxy group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms. Also, the present invention provides an optically anisotropic body using the polymerizable liquid crystal composition of the present invention.

A liquid-crystalline medium, preferably having a nematic phase and dielectric anisotropy of 0.5 or more, which has one or more compounds of formula S

##STR00001## in which

##STR00002##

denotes

##STR00003##

and the other parameters have the meanings given in the text. Also, the use of the medium in an electro-optical display, particularly in an active-matrix display based on the IPS or FFS effect. Displays of this type which contain a liquid-crystalline medium of this type. And use of the compounds of formula S for the improvement of the transmission and/or response times of a liquid-crystalline medium which comprises one or more additional mesogenic compounds.

A liquid crystal display device comprises a first substrate, a second substrate which faces the first substrate, an electrode part which is provided on at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer which comprises a liquid crystal composition and is provided between the first substrate and the second substrate. The liquid crystal composition includes a liquid crystal compound of Formula 1. ##STR00001##
wherein R.sub.1, R.sub.2, A.sub.11, A.sub.12, A.sub.13, A.sub.21, A.sub.22, Z.sub.11, Z.sub.12, Z.sub.13, Z.sub.21, Z.sub.22, a, b, c, d, and e are as described herein.

The invention relates to a reactive mesogen (RM) formulation comprising a conductive additive, to a polymer film obtained thereof, and the use of the RM formulation and polymer film in optical or electrooptical components or devices, like optical retardation films for liquid crystal displays (LCDs).

The invention relates to a reactive mesogen (RM) formulation comprising a conductive additive, to a polymer film obtained thereof, and the use of the RM formulation and polymer film in optical or electrooptical components or devices, like optical retardation films for liquid crystal displays (LCDs).

The present invention relates to compounds that have ultraviolet light absorbing properties, and which can also have mesogenic properties. The present invention also relates to compositions that include one or more such compounds, and to articles of manufacture that include one or more such compounds, such as optical elements that include an optical substrate and a layer that includes at least one compound of the present invention.