A polymerizable liquid crystal composition containing two polymerizable liquid crystal compounds (A) and (B) is provided. A polymer of compound (A) exhibits a reverse wavelength dispersion property and the phase difference value [R(A,3000,450)] at a wavelength of 450 nm measured after irradiation in an oriented state with ultraviolet ray at 3000 mJ/cm.sup.2 varies in a positive sense relative to the phase difference value [R(A,500,450)] at a wavelength of 450 nm measured after irradiation in an oriented state with ultraviolet ray at 500 mJ/cm.sup.2. A polymer of compound (B) exhibits a reverse wavelength dispersion property and the phase difference value [R(B,3000,450)] at a wavelength of 450 nm measured after irradiation in an oriented state with ultraviolet ray at 3000 mJ/cm.sup.2 varies in a negative sense relative to the phase difference value [R(B,500,450)] at a wavelength of 450 nm measured after irradiation in an oriented state with ultraviolet ray at 500 mJ/cm.sup.2.

The invention relates to a light modulation element comprising a cholesteric liquid crystalline medium sandwiched between two substrates (1), provided with a common electrode structure (2) and a driving electrode structure (3) individually, wherein the substrate with driving and/or common electrode structure is additionally provided with an alignment electrode structure (4) which is separated from the driving and or common electrode structure on the same substrate by a dielectric layer (5), characterized in that it comprises at least one alignment layer (6) directly adjacent to the liquid crystalline medium. The invention is further related to a method of production of said light modulation element and to the use of said light modulation element in various types of optical and electro-optical devices, such as electro-optical displays, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), non-linear optic (NLO) devices, and optical information storage devices.

The invention relates to a liquid-crystalline medium based on a mixture of polar compounds comprising a self-alignment additive for vertical alignment and additionally at least one compound of formula I as described more closely within this disclosure (polymerizable HALS), especially for vertically aligned display applications.

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.

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.

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.

Disclosed herein are embodiments of a composition that can be used to make liquid crystalline networks using thiol-ene-based polymerization. In particular embodiments, the liquid crystalline networks can be formed by using the composition embodiments in additive manufacturing methods. The composition comprises a monomer, chain extender compound, and a crosslinker compound and each of these components can be selected so as to influence the thermomechanical and shape memory properties of the liquid crystalline networks and/or objects formed therewith.

A liquid crystal composition for a display device, the composition includes compounds of Chemical Formulae 1-7 with the amounts and compounds defined herein.