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.

Provided is a polymerizable liquid crystal composition capable of suppressing the generation of precipitates; and an optically anisotropic layer, an optical film, a polarizing plate, and an image display device. The polymerizable liquid crystal composition contains a forward wavelength dispersion liquid crystal compound A having an aromatic ring having 10 or more π electrons and a forward wavelength dispersion liquid crystal compound B having an aromatic ring having 6 or more and less than 10 π electrons.

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 present invention relates to a liquid-crystal (LC) medium comprising one or more polymerisable compounds and to the use of the LC medium for optical, electro-optical and electronic purposes, in particular in LC displays, especially in LC displays of the polymer sustained alignment (PS, PSA) or self-aligning (SA) type.

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 polymerizable composition contains: a) a polymerizable compound having one or two or more polymerizable groups and satisfying formula (I):

Re(450 nm)/Re(550 nm)<1.0  (I);

b) at least one photopolymerization initiator selected from the group consisting of alkylphenone-based compounds, acylphosphine oxide-based compounds, and oxime ester-based compounds; and c) a polymerization inhibitor. The present invention also provides an optically anisotropic body, a retardation film, an antireflective film, and a liquid crystal display device that are produced using the polymerizable liquid crystal composition. The polymerizable composition of the present invention is excellent in solubility and has high storage stability, so that no precipitation of crystals etc. occurs. When a film-shaped polymer is produced by polymerizing the above composition, the unevenness of the surface of the coating film is small while the alignment of the liquid crystal is maintained, and high durability is obtained. Therefore, the polymerizable composition is useful.

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 photoreactive liquid crystal composition containing (A) a photoreactive polymer liquid crystal which includes a photoreactive side chain in which at least one type of reaction selected from (A-1) photocrosslinking and (A-2) photoisomerization occurs, and (B) a low molecular weight liquid crystal. An optical element or display element is formed having a liquid crystal cell including the photoreactive liquid crystal composition.

A polymerizable composition containing: a) a polymerizable compound having one or two or more polymerizable groups and satisfying formula (I): Re(450 nm)/Re(550 nm)<1.0 (I); b) at least one photopolymerization initiator selected from the group consisting of alkylphenone-based compounds, acylphosphine oxide-based compounds, and oxime ester-based compounds; and c) a polymerization inhibitor. An optically anisotropic body, a retardation film, an antireflective film, and a liquid crystal display device that are produced using the polymerizable liquid crystal composition. The polymerizable composition is excellent in solubility and has high storage stability, so that no precipitation of crystals etc. occurs. When a film-shaped polymer is produced by polymerizing the above composition, the unevenness of the surface of the coating film is small while the alignment of the liquid crystal is maintained, and high durability is obtained. Therefore, the polymerizable composition is useful.

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.