An additive, liquid-crystal composition and a liquid-crystal display using the additive are provided. The additive includes a first additive molecule having a structure represented by formula (I):

##STR00001## wherein R.sup.i1, R.sup.i2, R.sup.i3, A.sup.i1, A.sup.i2, Z.sup.i, m.sup.1 and m.sup.2 are defined as in the specification.

Provided is a composite particle capable of effectively suppressing the occurrence of color unevenness in a light-modulating material and effectively enhancing the light-modulating performance. The composite particle according to the present invention contains a pigment and has a particle diameter of 10 m or more and 100 m or less.

A liquid crystal polymer powder that includes a fiber portion having fibrous liquid crystal polymer particles with an aspect ratio of a length in a longitudinal direction thereof to a fiber diameter of 10 times or more. In the liquid crystal polymer powder, an average diameter of the fiber portion is 1 ?m or less, and a content of a substantially unfiberized lump portion is 20% or less.

A method for producing a cholesteric liquid crystal based shell is provided. The method comprises producing a cholesteric liquid crystal shell, solidifying the cholesteric liquid crystal shell so as to obtain a solid shell and perforating the solid shell. Also provided is a cholesteric liquid crystal based solid shell comprising a perforation. A coating composition comprising a plurality of cholesteric liquid crystal based solid shells, an item comprising a tag that comprises the cholesteric liquid crystal based solid shells and a method for authenticating the item are also provided.

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.

The present invention has an object to provide a polymerizable liquid crystal composition capable of manufacturing an optically anisotropic film having excellent light fastness; and an optically anisotropic film, an optical film, a polarizing plate, an image display device, and an organic electroluminescent display device, each of which uses the polymerizable liquid crystal composition. The polymerizable liquid crystal composition of an embodiment of the present invention contains a polymerizable liquid crystal compound having reverse-wavelength dispersion properties and an ultraviolet absorber represented by Formula (1), in which a maximum absorption wavelength A of the polymerizable liquid crystal compound and a maximum absorption wavelength B of the ultraviolet absorber satisfy Formula (2), and a content of the ultraviolet absorber is 1% to 20% by mass with respect to a content of the polymerizable liquid crystal compound.

##STR00001##

The present invention provides thermochromic liquid crystal inks and coatings. The ink and coating compositions comprise one or more non-encapsulated cholesteryl materials, one or more resins that are not cholesteryl materials, and one or more solvents. In certain embodiments, a thermochromic effect is observed at about body temperature.

The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device, which comprises: cholesteric liquid crystals and polymer fragments. By adding polymer fragments, the upper and lower substrates of the liquid crystal display device of the present invention may control the alignment of the liquid crystals and have excellent electro-optical characteristics without the use of an alignment film; furthermore, the polymer fragments are modified with a vertical alignment agent, DMOAP to form a radial structure so as to improve the contrast. The present invention also provides a method for preparing a liquid crystal display device in a simple way, so that the liquid crystal display device has the electro-optical characteristics of high contrast, low threshold voltage, and fast response time.

A liquid crystal polymer composite is disclosed herein. The liquid crystal polymer composite includes a solvent, a soluble liquid crystal polymer, and an additive. The soluble liquid crystal polymer is dissolved in the solvent. The additive includes an organic polymer or inorganic filler, while the additive is dispersed or dissolved in the solvent.

The present invention relates to an electro-rheological fluid comprising particles of at least one inorganic or organic material suspended in a polar liquid crystalline medium, the use of such electro-rheological fluid in an haptic device, an haptic device itself, a method of the production of such haptic device and the use of such haptic device in electro-optical devices.