Liquid-crystalline media (LC media) comprising self-aligning mesogens (self-alignment additives) which effect homeotropic (vertical) alignment of the LC media at a surface or the cell walls of a liquid-crystal display (LC display). The self-alignment additives contain five-ring systems. LC displays having homeotropic alignment of the liquid-crystalline medium (LC medium) without conventional alignment layers are provided.

The present invention relates to liquid-crystalline media (LC media) having negative or positive dielectric anisotropy comprising self-aligning mesogens (SAMs) which effect homeotropic (vertical) alignment of the LC media at a surface or the cell walls of a liquid-crystal display (LC display). The invention therefore also encompasses LC displays having homeotropic alignment of the liquid-crystalline medium (LC medium) without conventional imide alignment layers. The LC media may be supplemented by a polymerisable or polymerised component, which serves for stabilisation of the alignment, for adjustment of the tilt angle and/or as passivation layer.

The present invention relates to polymerisable compounds, to processes and intermediates for the preparation thereof, to liquid-crystal (LC) media comprising them, and to the use of the polymerisable compounds and LC media for optical, electro-optical and electronic purposes, in particular in LC displays, especially in LC displays of the polymer sustained alignment type.

A liquid crystal composition including liquid crystalline compounds, polymerizable compounds, and dichroic dyes in which the polymerizable compound includes at least one compound represented by Formula (1),
R.sup.11-MES-Sp.sup.11-P.sup.11  (1)
in Formula (1), R.sup.11 is an alkyl group having 1 to 15 carbon atoms; MES is a mesogenic group having at least one ring, and in the ring in MES, at least one hydrogen atom is optionally substituted with -Sp.sup.11-P.sup.11; Sp.sup.11 is a single bond or an alkylene group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and in this alkylene group, at least one —CH.sub.2— is optionally substituted with —O—, —CO—, —COO—, —OCO—, or —OCOO—, and at least one —(CH.sub.2).sub.2— is optionally substituted with —CH═CH— or —C≡C—, and in these groups, at least one hydrogen atom is optionally substituted with a polymerizable group; P.sup.11 is a polymerizable group or a polar group, or a group having both polymerization and polarity.

The liquid crystal display device of the disclosure has: a first substrate; a plurality of pixel electrodes formed on the first substrate; a second substrate; a counter electrode formed on the second substrate and facing the pixel electrode; a liquid crystal layer including a liquid crystal composition between the pixel electrode and the counter electrode; and an alignment control layer formed of a polymer containing an alignable monomer that is one component of the liquid crystal composition, in which the alignment control layers are each formed on a side of the first substrate and on a side of the second substrate. The alignable monomer is a polymerizable polar compound having a mesogen moiety formed of at least one ring, and a polar group.

A liquid crystal material and a liquid crystal display panel are provided. The liquid crystal material includes liquid crystal molecules, a polymerizable monomer, and an auxiliary alignment agent. A structural formula of the auxiliary alignment agent comprises at least one A group, at least one Sp group, at least one Z group, at least one R group, and at least one L group.

A shape-programmable liquid crystal elastomer comprises polymerized, nematic monomers. The monomers are organized into a plurality of voxels with each voxel having a director orientation.

Solid foam structures having multiple compartments comprising mesogenic ligand-functionalized nanoparticles are provided. Compositions that include these structures, as well as methods of making the structures are also provided. The structures, compositions and methods find use in a variety of applications, such as, photonics, luminescent coatings and multi-compartment encapsulation technologies.

A method of making a shape-programmable liquid crystal elastomer. The method includes preparing an alignment cell having a surface programmed with a plurality of domains. A cavity of the alignment cell is filled with a monomer solution. The monomers of the monomer solution are configured to align to the surface of the alignment cell. The aligned monomers are polymerized by Michael Addition. The polymerized monomers are then cross-linked to form a cross-linked liquid crystal elastomer. The cross-linking traps monomer alignment into a plurality of voxels with each voxel having a director orientation.

Compounds that have ultraviolet light absorbing properties, and which can also have mesogenic properties. Compositions that include one or more such compounds. 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 such compound.