Provided is a composition containing a compound of formula (1), and a polymerizable liquid crystal compound or a liquid crystalline polymer compound. n represents 1 or 2; Ar.sup.1, Ar.sup.2, and Ar.sup.3 each represent a 1,4-phenylene group or a divalent sulfur-containing aromatic heterocyclic group; At least one of Art and Ar.sup.2 has a fluorine atom; R.sup.1 represents a single bond or a group selected from —OC(═O)—, —C(═O)O—, —C≡C—, —CH═CH—, —CH═N—, —N═N—, and —N═CH—; R.sup.2 represents an alkylamino group or an alkoxy group; R.sup.3 represents a group selected from an alkanediyl group, an alkanediyloxy group, an alkanediyloxycarbonyl group, and an alkanediylcarbonyloxy group; and R.sup.4 represents a polymerizable group or a hydrogen atom.

R.sup.4—R.sup.3—Ar.sup.1—(—R.sup.1—Ar.sup.2—).sub.n—N═N—Ar—R.sup.2   (1)

Dichroic azo-azomethine dyes of formula (A) or (B), wherein Ar.sup.1 to Ar.sup.10 are specific (hetero)aromatic moieties and L is a linking group, as defined in the present claims, a dichroic dye mixture comprising said azo-azomethine dyes and a process for preparing the dyes are provided. The dyes are well suited for combination with liquid crystal material for use, inter alia, in a light absorption anisotropic element, for example, in a switchable optical device or an optically anisotropic film.

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A method for manufacturing a quantum dots layer including providing a substrate on which a first electrode, a second electrode, and a third electrode are disposed; providing a first mixed solution including a first quantum dots, which have been surface-treated to have a first polarity, on the first to third electrodes; providing a second polarity opposite to the first polarity to the first electrode resulting in deposition of the first quantum dots on the first electrode; and drying the first mixed solution to form a first quantum dots layer.

A pigment composite particle is provided, which includes an organic pigment core, a polyelectrolyte shell wrapped around the organic pigment core, and an oxide shell wrapped around the polyelectrolyte shell. The organic pigment core is water-insoluble. The organic pigment core and the polyelectrolyte shell have a weight ratio of 1:0.25 to 1:1. The oxide shell is formed from tetraalkyl orthosilicate, tetraalkyl orthotitanate, or a combination thereof, and the organic pigment core and the tetraalkyl orthosilicate, tetraalkyl orthotitanate, or the combination thereof have a weight ratio of 1:0.7 to 1:3.

Solution comprising about 1 to about 25 wt % of a dye that loses its colour during radical cure and about 75 to about 99 wt % of a solvent mixture, said solvent mixture comprising cyclopentanone and dimethylsulphoxide in a weight ratio of about 60:40 to about 95:5.

The present invention provides a nanoparticle containing a hydrophobic fluorescent substance accumulated therein and a thermosetting resin as a matrix, which nanoparticle, when used for labeling of a biological substance such as a protein or nucleic acid, has brightness sufficient for allowing pathological diagnosis using a fluorescence image obtained thereby. The present invention is a phosphor integrated dots nanoparticles wherein a thermosetting resin contains a structural unit formed from a raw material containing a hydrophobic substituent, and wherein a fluorescent substance is accumulated in the nanoparticle at least by hydrophobic interaction, preferably further by stacking interaction, with the hydrophobic substituent of the thermosetting resin.

The present invention provides a nanoparticle containing a hydrophobic fluorescent substance accumulated therein and a thermosetting resin as a matrix, which nanoparticle, when used for labeling of a biological substance such as a protein or nucleic acid, has brightness sufficient for allowing pathological diagnosis using a fluorescence image obtained thereby. The present invention is a phosphor integrated dots nanoparticles wherein a thermosetting resin contains a structural unit formed from a raw material containing a hydrophobic substituent, and wherein a fluorescent substance is accumulated in the nanoparticle at least by hydrophobic interaction, preferably further by stacking interaction, with the hydrophobic substituent of the thermosetting resin.

An optical film, a polarizing plate including the same, and a liquid crystal display including the same are provided. The optical film includes a protective layer and a contrast improving layer, wherein the contrast improving layer includes a second resin layer that is stacked from the protective layer, and a first resin layer facing the second resin layer.

Disclosed are a core-shell type nanosilica fluorescent probe and a synthesis method thereof, wherein the core-shell type nanosilica fluorescent probe is a nanoparticle with a core-shell structure. Also disclosed is a method using the core-shell type nanosilica fluorescent probe for selection of functional microorganisms having toxic aromatic hydrocarbon degrading activity, wherein the method enables efficient, intuitive and rapid specificity sorting and analyzing of individual cells with high sensitively.

Disclosed are a core-shell type nanosilica fluorescent probe and a synthesis method thereof, wherein the core-shell type nanosilica fluorescent probe is a nanoparticle with a core-shell structure. Also disclosed is a method using the core-shell type nanosilica fluorescent probe for selection of functional microorganisms having toxic aromatic hydrocarbon degrading activity, wherein the method enables efficient, intuitive and rapid specificity sorting and analyzing of individual cells with high sensitively.