With the use of a photoalignment film, the present invention provides a liquid crystal display device capable of maintaining a favorable voltage holding ratio and reducing or preventing image sticking, stains, and a decrease in contrast ratio for a long time not only in a room-temperature environment but also in a high-temperature environment; and a method for producing such a liquid crystal display device. The liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes paired substrates; a liquid crystal layer disposed between the substrates; a photoalignment film disposed between at least one of the substrates and the liquid crystal layer; and a polymer layer disposed between the photoalignment film and the liquid crystal layer, wherein the polymer layer has a structure derived from a specific epoxy-based monomer and a structure derived from a specific curing agent.

An object of the present invention is to provide an optical film which is excellent in the adhesiveness between a polymer support and a photo alignment film and in which a liquid crystal compound having reverse wavelength dispersibility is uniformly aligned. Another object of the present invention is to provide a polarizing plate formed of the optical film, and an image display device formed of the optical film or the polarizing plate.

An optical film according to an embodiment of the present invention is obtained by laminating, in the following order: a polymer support containing an additive; a photo alignment film; and an optically anisotropic film, the optically anisotropic film is formed of a polymerizable liquid crystal composition containing a polymerizable liquid crystal compound having reverse wavelength dispersibility, and an amount of a component derived from the additive of the polymer support, which is contained in a boundary region with the optically anisotropic film in the photo alignment film is 0.10 to 0.50 mass % with respect to a total mass of the photo alignment film.

A polymerizable liquid crystal composition used for formation of an optically anisotropic film retaining good reciprocal wavelength dispersibility and having an excellent surface condition, an optically anisotropic film, an optical film, a polarizing plate, and an image display device. The polymerizable liquid crystal composition contains a polymerizable liquid crystal compound represented by Formula (I): L.sup.1-SP.sup.1-A.sup.1-D.sup.3-G.sup.1-D.sup.1-Ar-D.sup.2-G.sup.2-D.sup.4-A.sup.2-SP.sup.2-L.sup.2 and a polymerizable compound represented by Formula (II): L.sup.5-SP.sup.5-D.sup.9-C(O)-Cy.sup.1-Cy.sup.2-C(O)-D.sup.7-A.sup.5-D.sup.8-(A.sup.6-D.sup.10).sub.n-SP.sup.6-L.sup.6 and not corresponding to Formula (I).

The invention relates to a polymerisable LC medium with flat, negative or positive optical dispersion, a polymer film with flat, negative or positive optical dispersion obtainable from such a material, and the use of the polymerisable LC medium and polymer film in optical, electro optical, electronic, semiconducting or luminescent components or devices.

Liquid-crystal polymer is composed of the following repeating units: 10 mol % to 35 mol % of ##STR00001##
10 mol % to 35 mol % of ##STR00002##
10 mol % to 50 mol % of ##STR00003##
and 10 mol % to 40 mol % of ##STR00004##
10 mol % to 40 mol % of ##STR00005##
or a combination thereof. Each of AR.sup.1, AR.sup.2, AR.sup.3, and AR.sup.4 is independently AR.sup.5 or AR.sup.5-Z-AR.sup.6, in which each of AR.sup.5 and AR.sup.6 is independently ##STR00006##
or a combination thereof, and Z is O, ##STR00007##
or C.sub.1-5 alkylene group. Each of X and Y is independently H, C.sub.1-5 alkyl group, CF.sub.3, or ##STR00008##
wherein R.sup.2 is H, CH.sub.3, CH(CH.sub.3).sub.2, C(CH.sub.3).sub.3, CF.sub.3, or ##STR00009##
n=1 to 4; and wherein R.sup.1 is C.sub.1-5 alkylene group.

A laminate film comprising a retardation layer exhibiting blocking characteristics against specific ultraviolet rays even in a state where the retardation layer does not include any ultraviolet absorber or light stabilizer. The laminate film which can be used alone or in combination with an appropriate sunscreen or a light stabilizer as needed to selectively block ultraviolet rays in a region requiring blocking, without affecting display performance, such as color senses and image quality, of a display device. The laminate film can also be formed with a lower thickness without requiring a separate ultraviolet blocking layer, and also has excellent durability, because the laminate film exhibits a certain ultraviolet blocking property even in the absence of an ultraviolet absorber or light stabilizer.

A side chain type polymer liquid crystalline compound with which a light absorption anisotropic film having a high alignment degree can be formed, which includes a liquid crystalline composition, a light absorption anisotropic film which is formed of the liquid crystalline composition, a laminate, and an image display device. A liquid crystalline composition contains a side chain type polymer liquid crystalline compound and a dichroic substance, the side chain type polymer liquid crystalline compound is a copolymer having repeating units 1 and 2, the repeating unit 1 has a mesogenic group and an electron-withdrawing group having a Hammett's substituent constant p of greater than 0 at a terminal of the mesogenic group, and the repeating unit 2 has a mesogenic group and a group having a Hammett's substituent constant p of 0 or less at a terminal of the mesogenic group.

A liquid crystal composition contains: at least one compound of general formula I and at least one polymerizable compound of general formula II. Such a liquid crystal composition has a suitable optical anisotropy, a suitable dielectric anisotropy, and a better pretilt angle consistency while maintaining a relatively high clearing point, and the drop mura is good. When the liquid crystal composition is applied to a PSA liquid crystal display, the liquid crystal composition has an excellent display effect.

##STR00001##

A water-responsive interpenetrating polymer network, a preparation method and use thereof, are disclosed in the present disclosure. The water-responsive interpenetrating polymer network comprises an interpenetrating polymer network formed by a cholesteric liquid crystal polymer and a polyionic liquid; wherein the cholesteric liquid crystal polymer is formed by polymerization of a liquid crystal mixture; and the polyionic liquid contains a hydrophilic group or is a hydrophilic salt. The interpenetrating polymer network of the present disclosure is water responsive without needs of activation with an alkaline solution, which simplifies the preparation process, and it has stable water responsiveness performance after prolonged and/or repeated exposure to water. The water-responsive interpenetrating polymer network of the present disclosure can be used to prepare light reflective coatings and reflective devices, and has higher commercial value.

There are provided a projection image-displaying member, a windshield glass, and a head-up display system in which both high visible light transmittance and good tint of a screen image displayed are achieved. The projection image-displaying member has a selectively reflecting layer that wavelength-selectively reflects light. The selectively reflecting layer has a maximum reflectivity in a wavelength range of 700 to 850 nm at an incidence angle of 5 and has a peak with a reflectivity of 15% or more in a wavelength range of 470 to 540 nm. The selectively reflecting layer further has two or more peaks of reflectivity in a wavelength range of 540 to 700 nm.