A method for producing a cholesteric liquid crystal layer is a method that can produce a cholesteric liquid crystal layer whose reflection surface is not parallel to a substrate surface by a simple method. The method includes: a step 1 of forming a composition layer satisfying a condition 1, a condition 2, or a condition 3 on a substrate, using a liquid crystal composition including a liquid crystal compound; and a step 2 of subjecting the composition layer to a treatment for cholesterically aligning the liquid crystal compound in the composition layer to form a cholesteric liquid crystal layer.

A method for producing a cholesteric liquid crystal layer is a method that can produce a cholesteric liquid crystal layer whose reflection surface is not parallel to a substrate surface by a simple method. The method includes: a step 1 of forming a composition layer satisfying a condition 1, a condition 2, or a condition 3 on a substrate, using a liquid crystal composition including a liquid crystal compound; and a step 2 of subjecting the composition layer to a treatment for cholesterically aligning the liquid crystal compound in the composition layer to form a cholesteric liquid crystal layer.

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.

[Object] An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal composition containing a polymerizable compound for use in the manufacture of a PSA or PSVA liquid crystal display device. The polymerizable compound has a sufficiently high polymerization rate. The PSA or PSVA liquid crystal display device has few or no display defects due to a change in pretilt angle, has an adequate pretilt angle, and has high responsiveness. The present invention also provides a liquid crystal display device having the liquid crystal composition. [Solution] The object is achieved by using a liquid crystal composition containing one or two or more polymerizable compounds represented by the general formula (I).

[Object] An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal composition containing a polymerizable compound for use in the manufacture of a PSA or PSVA liquid crystal display device. The polymerizable compound has a sufficiently high polymerization rate. The PSA or PSVA liquid crystal display device has few or no display defects due to a change in pretilt angle, has an adequate pretilt angle, and has high responsiveness. The present invention also provides a liquid crystal display device having the liquid crystal composition. [Solution] The object is achieved by using a liquid crystal composition containing one or two or more polymerizable compounds represented by the general formula (I).

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 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.

Compositions, systems and methods for use in monitoring an environment or a formation. The compositions can include electrically conductive material that can be used as a sensor. The sensor can have a non-writeable, writeable, and stimulated state. A first signal is used to induce the non-writeable material into a writeable state. In the writeable state, the electrically conductive material has the capacity for actuation in response to an orthogonal signal. In response to the orthogonal signal, the electrically conductive material then undergoes a conformation or shape change. The conformational or shape change induces a strain or actuation that can be used to generate a signal. The stimulated state can be reversible, and in the absence of the orthogonal signal the electrically conductive material may resume its original shape or conformation.

A liquid crystal composition includes at least one of liquid crystal molecules represented by Chemical Formulas A and B:

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where in Chemical Formulas A and B, L.sub.1 to L.sub.4 are each independently —H, —F, —Cl, —OCF.sub.3, —CF.sub.3, —CH.sub.2F, or —CHF.sub.2, R.sub.1 to R.sub.4 are each independently hydrogen, a halogen, a cyano group, a C1-C12 alkyl group, or a C1-C12 alkoxy group, and Z.sub.1 to Z.sub.4 are each independently a single bond, —O—, —COO—, —OCO—, —CF.sub.2O—, —OCF.sub.2—, —CH.sub.2O—, —OCH.sub.2—, —SCH.sub.2—, —CH.sub.2S—, —CH.sub.2CH.sub.2—, —C.sub.2F.sub.4—, —CH.sub.2CF.sub.2—, —CF.sub.2CH.sub.2—, —CH.sub.2n—, where n is a natural number of 1 to 12, —CH═CH—, —CF═CF—, —CH═CF—, —CF═CH—, —C═C—, or —CH═CHCH.sub.2O.

The invention is to provide a liquid crystal composition satisfying at least one of characteristics such as a high maximum temperature of a nematic phase, a low minimum temperature of the nematic phase, a small viscosity, a suitable optical anisotropy, a large negative dielectric anisotropy, a large specific resistance, a high stability to ultraviolet light and a high stability to heat, or having a suitable balance regarding at least two of the characteristics; and is to provide an AM device having a short response time, a large voltage holding ratio, a large contrast ratio, a long service life and so forth; wherein the liquid crystal composition includes a specific compound having a large negative dielectric anisotropy and a low minimum temperature as a first component, a specific compound having a small viscosity or a large maximum temperature as a second component and a specific compound having a polymerizable group as a third component, and a liquid crystal display device contains the composition.