Provided is an optically anisotropic layer with which an image display device having suppressed occurrence of oblique light leakage can be manufactured; and an optical film, a polarizing plate, and an image display device, each having the optically anisotropic layer. The optically anisotropic layer is obtained by curing a polymerizable liquid crystal composition including a predetermined rod-like liquid crystal compound and a predetermined monofunctional compound, and immobilizing an alignment state of the rod-like liquid crystal compound, in which a number a1 of atoms of the rod-like liquid crystal compound and a number a2 of atoms of the monofunctional compound satisfy a relationship of Expression (1): 0.2<a2/a1≤0.68, and the rod-like liquid crystal compound is immobilized in a state of being vertically aligned with respect to the main surface of the optically anisotropic layer.

In light of requests to reduce or reverse the wavelength dispersion of the birefringence of a phase-retardation film in order to increase the viewing angle of a liquid crystal display, the present invention provides a polymerizable compound that reduces, for example, the likelihood of crystals precipitating in a polymerizable composition including the polymerizable compound and enables the polymerizable composition to have high preservation stability and a polymerizable composition including the polymerizable compound which reduces the likelihood of inconsistencies being formed in a film-like polymer produced by polymerizing the polymerizable composition. Another object of the present invention is to provide a polymer produced by polymerizing the polymerizable composition and an optically anisotropic body including the polymer.

The present invention relates to azo dye of formula I ##STR00001##
defined in claim 1, to a liquid crystalline medium comprising said azo dye, the use of said medium for optical, electrooptical and electronic purposes, in particular in devices for regulating the passage of energy from an outside space into an inside space, for example in windows. The invention further relates to a device containing the liquid crystalline medium according to the invention.

A polymerizable LC material comprising one or more reactive mesogenic compounds, one or more chiral compounds and a block copolymer that comprises at least one polyfluorooxetane block bonded to a polyether block, said polyfluorooxetane block having a repeating unit of the formula ##STR00001## Further, a method for its preparation, a polymer film obtainable from a corresponding polymerizable LC material, a method of preparation of such polymer film, and the use of such polymer film and said polymerizable LC material in optical, electro-optical, decorative or security devices.

Self-aligned liquid crystal materials and structures are disclosed. The structures can exhibit piezoelectric and flexoelectric properties.

Provided are a cholesteric liquid crystal film including a cholesteric liquid crystal, in which, in a cross section in a thickness direction observed with a microscope, the cholesteric liquid crystal film has a stripe pattern in which dark portions and bright portions are alternately arranged, and has a folded structure due to the dark portions at a surface layer portion of one main surface of a pair of main surfaces; and a manufacturing method thereof.

The present invention relates to azo dye of formula I

##STR00001##

defined in claim 1, to a liquid crystalline medium comprising said azo dye, the use of said medium for optical, electrooptical and electronic purposes, in particular in devices for regulating the passage of energy from an outside space into an inside space, for example in windows. The invention further relates to a device containing the liquid crystalline medium according to the invention.

The present invention relates to compositions comprising a combination of benzothiadiazole and thiadiazoloquinoxaline derivatives, to liquid-crystalline media containing the compositions, and to the use of the compositions and the media in optical, electronic and electro-optical devices, in particular in devices for regulating the passage of energy from an outside space into an inside space, for example in switchable windows.

The disclosure provides a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, a manufacturing method thereof, and an LCD device. The LCD panel adopts a structure with multiple electrodes and dual-frequency liquid crystals. When a temperature of the LCD panel is low (below 0° C.), the LCD panel is driven at high frequency, so that it emits more heat. Therefore, a working temperature of the LCD panel is increased without adding a heating element. LCD devices using such LCD panels have wide working temperature ranges, and are well suited to be used outdoors.

Disclosed is a polymerizable liquid crystal material wherein an amount of a salt represented by the following formula (I) is less than 0.01 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of a polymerizable liquid crystal compound, and an amount of a nitrogen-containing compound represented by the following formula (II) is 0.01 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the polymerizable liquid crystal compound. R.sup.1 to R.sup.5 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a C1-C7 alkyl group, R.sup.6 and R.sup.7 represents a hydrogen atom, and X represents F.sup.−, Br.sup.−, Cl.sup.−, I.sup.−, HSO.sub.4.sup.−, 1/2(HPO.sub.4.sup.2−), H.sub.2PO.sub.4.sup.−, R—C(═O)—O.sup.−, 1/2(.sup.−O—(C═O)—R′—(C═O)—O.sup.−) or R—SO.sub.3.sup.−, where R represents a hydrogen atom or a monovalent hydrocarbon group, and R′ represents a single bond or a divalent hydrocarbon group. ##STR00001##