The present invention relates to an assembly of switching layers for dimming and scattering of light and to window elements comprising the arrangement of switching layers.

Chiral polymer microspheres have a porous structure of a concentric multi-shell structure. Each layer of the multi-shell structure is optically and structurally anisotropic. The optical axes of adjacent layers have a sequential slight twist. All layers of the multi-shell structure generate a helix configuration and the chiral polymer microspheres are optically active. A method for preparing the chiral polymer microspheres, includes: forming a homogeneous liquid crystal mixture; dispersing the liquid crystal mixture into a continuous phase to form liquid crystal droplets through an emulsification process; polymerizing the reactive liquid crystal to form intermediate microspheres; and removing the one non-reactive liquid crystal and the chiral additive to form the chiral polymer microspheres. The chiral polymer microspheres have a porous structure and a swelling ability, and can be used as the stationary phase in chiral chromatograph, improving separation efficiency.

A flexible bistable light modulating device includes a first flexible transparent conductive film and a second flexible transparent conductive film; and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first flexible transparent conductive film and the second flexible transparent conductive film. The liquid crystal layer includes a liquid crystal mixture and a sealing structure to seal the liquid crystal mixture within the liquid crystal layer. The liquid crystal mixture includes at least one bimesogenic compound, at least one nematic liquid crystal compound and at least one chiral compound; and a plurality of supporting structures dispersing inside the liquid crystal layer. The weight percentage of the supporting structures over the liquid crystal mixture is 0.1%-4.5%. The flexible bistable light modulating device has two states that are stable without application of an external electric field, thus saving energy, simplifying the production process, saving cost and improving product yield.

A flexible bistable light modulating device includes a first flexible transparent conductive film and a second flexible transparent conductive film; and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first flexible transparent conductive film and the second flexible transparent conductive film. The liquid crystal layer includes a liquid crystal mixture and a sealing structure to seal the liquid crystal mixture within the liquid crystal layer. The liquid crystal mixture includes at least one bimesogenic compound, at least one nematic liquid crystal compound and at least one chiral compound; and a plurality of supporting structures dispersing inside the liquid crystal layer. The weight percentage of the supporting structures over the liquid crystal mixture is 0.1%-4.5%. The flexible bistable light modulating device has two states that are stable without application of an external electric field, thus saving energy, simplifying the production process, saving cost and improving product yield.

A material for liquid-crystal devices which have a low operating voltage in a normal mode or a reverse mode and high-contrast properties. The material for liquid-crystal devices is characterized by containing at least one polymerizable compound and at least one compound selected from among compounds represented by general formulae (K1) and (K2) and by comprising a liquid-crystal material.

##STR00001##

A liquid crystal mixture is disclosed that has a certain rotational sense when placed in a liquid crystal device and an opposite rotational sense when removed from the liquid crystal device. The liquid crystal mixture may be utilized, for example, in liquid crystal displays to achieve high contrast and to reduce potential defects and misalignments.

The present invention relates to liquid-crystalline media comprising one or more mesogenic compounds, one or more chiral compounds, and one or more polymerisable mesogenic compounds, wherein the media exhibit a pitch of 0.55 μm or more and a clearing point of 80° C. or more and wherein the one or more polymerisable mesogenic compounds are contained in an amount, based on the overall contents of the media, of 5% by weight or less. The present invention further relates to modulation materials obtainable from the media and to switching layers and window elements containing the materials.

The present invention relates to liquid-crystalline media comprising one or more mesogenic compounds, one or more chiral compounds, and one or more polymerisable mesogenic compounds, wherein the media exhibit a pitch of 0.55 μm or more and a clearing point of 80° C. or more and wherein the one or more polymerisable mesogenic compounds are contained in an amount, based on the overall contents of the media, of 5% by weight or less. The present invention further relates to modulation materials obtainable from the media and to switching layers and window elements containing the materials.

A smectic A composition with the positive dielectric anisotropy exhibiting a monolayer smectic A structure (SmA.sub.1), which shows a phase transition from a smectic A phase to an isotropic phase (SmA-Iso) or a phase transition from a smectic A phase through a nematic phase to an isotropic phase (SmA-N-Iso) and includes at least two fluorinated compounds selected from the families of fluorinated derivatives of biphenyls and terphenyls expressed by the general formulae 1-12.

For ensuring of the high level of the conductivity the composition is doped with the ionic amidynium salts and/or the ionic potassium complexes of the crown ethers wherein the charge on the cation is delocalized. Such a structure of the ionic compound ensures the better solubility in the liquid crystalline fluorinated composition in comparison to that observed for quaternary ammonium salts.

For writing of the information the dynamic scattering effect (DS) was used, where the transition from a opaque (milky) state to a clear (transparent) state or reversal process is obtained by the change of the frequency of a driving alternating electric field.

The modification of the properties of the smectic A composition by adding of further components such as fluorinated four ring liquid crystal compounds or pyrimidine compounds or cyanocompounds is described.

A method of achieving higher polar anchoring strength of liquid crystal (LC) using monolayer graphene flakes in an LC device and attaining faster electro-optic switching in an LC device comprising the steps of providing graphene in an ethanol solvent, adding a liquid crystal to the graphene and ethanol solution, forming a liquid crystal graphene ethanol solution, evaporating the ethanol, and forming a pure liquid crystal graphene mixture. A liquid crystal device with faster electro-optic switching and higher polar anchoring strength comprising an LC cell having a polyimide (PI) alignment layer, the liquid crystal graphene mixture, wherein the graphene flakes preferentially attach to the PI alignment layer; wherein the effective polar anchoring energy in the LC cell is enhanced by an order of magnitude and wherein the electro-optic response of the LC is accelerated.