A compound represented by the General Formula (I) as defined herein, in which, in the General Formula (I), P.sup.1 and P.sup.2 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, —CN, —NCS, or a polymerizable group, Sp.sup.1 and Sp.sup.2 each independently represent a single bond or a divalent linking group as defined herein, Z.sup.1, Z.sup.2 and Z.sup.3 each independently represent a particular linking group as defined herein, X.sup.1 and X.sup.2 each independently represent a single bond or —S as defined herein, k represents an integer of 2 to 4, m and n each independently represent an integer of 0 to 3 as defined herein, A.sup.1, A.sup.2, A.sup.3, and A.sup.4 each independently represent a particular group as defined herein is provided.

A compound represented by the General Formula (I) as defined herein, in which, in the General Formula (I), P.sup.1 and P.sup.2 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, —CN, —NCS, or a polymerizable group, Sp.sup.1 and Sp.sup.2 each independently represent a single bond or a divalent linking group as defined herein, Z.sup.1, Z.sup.2 and Z.sup.3 each independently represent a particular linking group as defined herein, X.sup.1 and X.sup.2 each independently represent a single bond or —S as defined herein, k represents an integer of 2 to 4, m and n each independently represent an integer of 0 to 3 as defined herein, A.sup.1, A.sup.2, A.sup.3, and A.sup.4 each independently represent a particular group as defined herein is provided.

The invention relates to bimesogenic compounds of formula I

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.11, R.sup.12, MG.sup.11, MG.sup.12 and CG.sup.1 have the meaning given in claim 1, to the use of bimesogenic compounds of formula I in liquid crystal media and particular to flexoelectric liquid crystal devices comprising a liquid crystal medium according to the present invention.

The invention relates to bimesogenic compounds of formula I

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.11, R.sup.12, MG.sup.11, MG.sup.12 and CG.sup.1 have the meaning given in claim 1, to the use of bimesogenic compounds of formula I in liquid crystal media and particular to flexoelectric liquid crystal devices comprising a liquid crystal medium according to the present invention.

Provided is a polarizing plate for a light-emitting diode and a light-emitting display device including the same, the polarizing plate comprising a polarizing film and a liquid crystal retardation film, wherein the liquid crystal retardation film comprises a laminate made of: a second retardation film having a discotic liquid crystal of which an in-plane retardation Re, in a wavelength of 550 nm, is approximately 220 nm to approximately 280 nm and a biaxial degree (NZ) is approximately 0 to approximately 0.3; and a first retardation film having a nematic liquid crystal of which an in-plane retardation Re, in a wavelength of 550 nm, is approximately 100 nm to approximately 150 nm and a biaxial degree (NZ) is approximately 0.3 to approximately 0.7.

A laminate is provided having excellent adhesiveness between a light absorption anisotropic film and a barrier layer, a manufacturing method of the laminate, and an image display device using the laminate. A laminate having: a barrier layer A; and a light absorption anisotropic film B, in which the barrier layer A is adjacently provided on the light absorption anisotropic film B, a relationship between a highest content of a compound A1 contained in the barrier layer A and a highest content of a compound B1 contained in the light absorption anisotropic film B satisfies a relationship in which a value of distance calculated from Hansen solubility parameters and represented by Formula (I) is within a range of 0.0 to 5.0, and the light absorption anisotropic film B contains a component same as the compound A1.
distance={4×(δ.sub.D(B1)−δ.sub.D(A1)).sup.2+(δ.sub.P(B1)−δ.sub.P(A1)).sup.2+(δ.sub.H(B1)−δ.sub.H(A1)).sup.2}.sup.0.5  (I)

Liquid crystal-based devices for detecting a target contaminant in air, including hydrogen, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, ammonia or carbon monoxide, and methods of using such devices to detect the target contaminant are disclosed. Such devices have a substrate surface that includes one or more metals or metal alloys that is in contact with a liquid crystal composition. When the device is contacted with a sample that contains the target contaminant, an observed change in the orientational ordering of the liquid crystal signals the presence of the target contaminant. In the absence of the target contaminant, no change in orientational ordering occurs.

A laminate is provided having excellent adhesiveness between a light absorption anisotropic film and a barrier layer, a manufacturing method of the laminate, and an image display device using the laminate. A laminate having: a barrier layer A; and a light absorption anisotropic film B, in which the barrier layer A is adjacently provided on the light absorption anisotropic film B, a relationship between a highest content of a compound A1 contained in the barrier layer A and a highest content of a compound B1 contained in the light absorption anisotropic film B satisfies a relationship in which a value of distance calculated from Hansen solubility parameters and represented by Formula (I) is within a range of 0.0 to 5.0, and the light absorption anisotropic film B contains a component same as the compound A1.

distance={4(.sub.D(B1).sub.D(A1)).sup.2+(.sub.P(B1).sub.P(A1)).sup.2+(.sub.H(B1).sub.H(A1)).sup.2}.sup.0.5(I)

Provided is a polarizing plate for a light-emitting diode and a light-emitting display device including the same, the polarizing plate comprising a polarizing film and a liquid crystal retardation film, wherein the liquid crystal retardation film comprises a laminate made of: a second retardation film having a discotic liquid crystal of which an in-plane retardation Re, in a wavelength of 550 nm, is approximately 220 nm to approximately 280 nm and a biaxial degree (NZ) is approximately 0 to approximately 0.3; and a first retardation film having a nematic liquid crystal of which an in-plane retardation Re, in a wavelength of 550 nm, is approximately 100 nm to approximately 150 nm and a biaxial degree (NZ) is approximately 0.3 to approximately 0.7.

Provided are a reactive mesogen that may improve display quality of a liquid crystal display, and a liquid crystal composition including the same. The reactive mesogen is represented by the following Formula:

BZ.sub.1.sub.b1XZ.sub.2.sub.b2Pa where X, Z1, Z2, B, and Pa are specified in the disclosure, and each of b1 and b2 is independently an integer between 0 to 6, inclusive.