Shown is a liquid crystal composition satisfying at least one of characteristics such as high maximum temperature, low minimum temperature, small viscosity, suitable optical anisotropy, large dielectric anisotropy and small frequency dependence, or has a suitable balance regarding at least two of the characteristics, and an AM device including the composition. The liquid crystal composition 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 high maximum temperature or small viscosity as a third component, a specific compound having positive dielectric anisotropy as a fourth component or a specific compound having negative dielectric anisotropy as a fifth component.

A display panel and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. Each pixel of the display panel includes a transmission region and a reflection region, and the display panel includes a first polarizer, a first base substrate, a first alignment layer, a liquid crystal layer, a second alignment layer, a second base substrate, and a second polarizer. A reflection layer is provided between the second alignment layer and the second polarizer in the reflection region. The liquid crystal layer in the reflection region includes nematic liquid crystal and a polymer network. The liquid crystal layer in the transmission region includes a liquid crystal mixture including the nematic liquid crystal and polymerizable monomers. The polymer network in reflection region is formed by polymerizing the polymerizable monomers in the liquid crystal mixture.

A polymerizable composition provides a high brightness and suppressed decrease in brightness in an outer peripheral region when used in a wavelength conversion member, a wavelength conversion member, a backlight unit, and a liquid crystal display device. The polymerizable composition includes quantum dots having surfaces coordinated with a ligand, a polymerizable compound, and a dispersant, in which the ligand is a molecule that includes a saturated hydrocarbon chain having 6 or more carbon atoms and a coordinating group, a Log P value of the polymerizable compound is 3.0 or lower, the dispersant has a nonpolar and a polar portion in a molecule, and the nonpolar portion is at least one selected from the group consisting of a saturated hydrocarbon chain having 6 or more carbon atoms, an aromatic ring, and a saturated aliphatic ring. The wavelength conversion member, the backlight unit, and the liquid crystal display device include the polymerizable composition.

This invention relates to a gel comprising a colloid dispersed in a lyotropic nematic liquid crystal, the lyotropic nematic liquid crystal comprising defect lines formed by the colloid. The invention also relates to a method for making the gel comprising the steps of: (a) mixing a nematogen with a liquid and the colloid to form a resulting dispersion, and (b) applying shear to the resulting dispersion at a temperature such that a lyotropic nematic liquid crystal phase is formed. In addition, the invention relates to an adhesive, lubricant, ceramic, film, spray, gel, lotion, foam, nanowire, yarn, medical implant, wearable, bone graft material, 3D printing material, ink, agrochemical formulation, topical formulation, paint, coating, composite, energy storage material, advanced material, responsive composite, cosmetic product, personal care product, pharmaceutical or foodstuff comprising the gel.

The present invention relates to a method for preparing a solid-state photonic crystal IPN composite functionalized with an enzyme, a photonic crystal IPN composite prepared by the method, and a biosensor using the photonic crystal IPN composite. The method of the present invention includes (1) mixing a nonreactive chiral dopant with a reactive nematic mesogen, curing the mixture, and removing the chiral dopant while maintaining a helical structure, to form a solid-state helical photonic crystal structure, (2) infiltrating a PAA hydrogel into the internal space of the photonic crystal structure, followed by curing to form an IPN-structured composite, and (3) immobilizing an enzyme in the IPN-structured composite. The PAA hydrogel is infiltrated into the solid-state helical photonic crystal structure and the enzyme is immobilized such that a pH change caused by the enzymatic reaction induces shrinkage and expansion of the PAA hydrogel, leading to a color change.

The present invention relates to a polymer composition which contains (A) a photosensitive side-chain polymer that exhibits liquid crystallinity in a predetermined temperature range and has a repeating unit comprising a vertically aligning group, and (B) an organic solvent. The present invention provides: a liquid crystal alignment film which has excellent tilt angle characteristics, while being provided with alignment controllability with high efficiency; a polymer composition which enables the achievement of this liquid crystal alignment film; a twisted nematic liquid crystal display element; and a vertical field switching mode liquid crystal display element.

An optically transparent actuator apparatus is provided that includes an optically transparent bi-stable member including an optically transparent liquid crystalline polymer layer. The bi-stable member is structured to move from a first state to a second state in response to a first stimulus and from the second state to the first state in response to a second stimulus. Also, a display apparatus includes a plate member and an actuator assembly coupled to the plate member. The actuator assembly includes a number of optically transparent liquid crystalline polymer layers, wherein each of the optically transparent liquid crystalline polymer layers is structured to move from a first state to a second state in response to a first stimulus.

LC media and LC displays containing an LC medium with positive dielectric anisotropy, which contains one or more compounds of formula I in a concentration of >0 and ≤10% ##STR00001##
and displays addressed by an active matrix and in particular displays of the IPS, PS-IPS, FFS, PS-FFS, HB-FFS, U-IPS, TN, PS-TN, STN or TN-TFT mode.

Liquid-crystalline (LC) media having positive dielectric anisotropy and liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) containing these media, especially displays addressed by an active matrix and in particular to LC displays of the TN, PS-TN, STN, TN-TFT, OCB, IPS, PS-IPS, FFS, HB-FFS PS-FFS, SA-HB-FFS, polymer stabilised SA-HB-FFS, positive VA or positive PS-VA type.

Provided are compositions that include a nematic colloid, the nematic colloid comprising a nematic liquid crystal and a key colloid; and a lock colloid, the lock colloid optionally having at least two arms extending therefrom, the lock colloid being configured for assembly with the key colloid of the nematic colloid, the assembly optionally being mediated by a dipole interaction between the colloid and the lock colloid, by a disinclination line of the nematic colloid, or any combination thereof. Also provided are related methods. The disclosed compositions and methods can be used to, e.g., assemble chain and lattice structures from the key colloids by exploiting disinclination lines and dipole defects of the components of the compositions.