Abstract: A composition comprising at least one liquid crystal compound, and at least one polymer is disclosed. The polymer comprises a constitutional unit represented by a following formula (A) and a constitutional unit derived from a monomer having a fluoroaliphatic group(s): wherein Mp represents a trivalent group constituting fully or partially a polymer main chain; L represents a single bond or a divalent linking group; and X represents a substituted or non-substituted aromatic condensed ring group.

Abstract: An optical compensatory film comprising an optically anisotropic layer composed of a liquid crystal composition including a liquid crystal compound, wherein the liquid crystal composition contains a copolymer including a repeating unit derived from a monomer of formula [1] and a repeating unit derived from a monomer of formula [2]: wherein R0 represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom or an alkyl group, L represents a divalent linking group, and n represents an integer of 1-18; wherein R11 represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom or an alkyl group, L11 represents a divalent linking group, and R13, R14 and R15 represents a hydrocarbon group or an aromatic heterocyclic group.

Abstract: A compound represented by the Formula below is provided. (in Formula (1), X denotes a divalent linking group, R1 and R2 independently denote an alkyl group having 3 or more carbons and having at least one hydroxy group or an aralkyl group having 8 or more carbons and having at least one hydroxy group, the alkyl group and aralkyl group may have a substituent, and M denotes a hydrogen atom or a cation). There is also provided a polyurethane resin obtained by polymerization of a polyisocyanate and a polyol that includes the compound. There is also provided a magnetic recording medium that includes a non-magnetic support and, above the support, at least one magnetic layer including a ferromagnetic powder dispersed in a binder that includes the polyurethane resin.

Abstract: An antireflection film comprising: a transparent support; at least one functional layer; and a low-refractive layer, wherein at least one of said at least one functional layer comprises a hydrolyzate and/or a partial condensate of an organosilane compound represented by formula (1), and the antireflection film has an inner haze of from 1 to 50%: where R1 represents a hydrogen atom, a methyl group, a methoxy group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, a cyano group, a fluorine atom, or a chlorine atom; Y represents a single bond, *—COO—**, *—CONH—**, or *—O—**; L represents a divalent linking group; R2 to R4 each independently represents a halogen atom, a hydroxyl group, an unsubstituted alkoxy group, or an unsubstituted alkyl group; R5 represents a hydrogen atom or an unsubstituted alkyl group; R6 represents a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, or a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group; and l indicates a number that satisfies a numerical formula of l=100?m, and m indicates a number of from 0 to 50.

Abstract: An image-forming method having: superposing a heat-sensitive transfer sheet on an image-receiving sheet so that a receptor layer can be contacted with a thermal transfer layer; and providing thermal energy in accordance with image signals given from a thermal head; in which the heat-sensitive transfer sheet is a sheet containing the thermal transfer layer that contains a colorant and at least one polyester as a binder component of the thermal transfer layer, in which at least one-second by molar ratio of the acid component of said polyester is terephtharic acid, or a sheet containing a thermal transfer layer that contains a colorant on one surface of a substrate film and a heat-resistant sliding layer formed so as to contain a hardener on the other surface of the substrate film; and the image-receiving sheet contains, on a support, the receptor layer that contains one of polyester and/or polycarbonate polymers.

Abstract: A compound represented by the Formula below is provided. (in Formula (1), X denotes a divalent linking group, R1 and R2 independently denote an alkyl group having 3 or more carbons and having at least one hydroxy group or an aralkyl group having 8 or more carbons and having at least one hydroxy group, the alkyl group and aralkyl group may have a substituent, and M denotes a hydrogen atom or a cation). There is also provided a polyurethane resin obtained by polymerization of a polyisocyanate and a polyol that includes the compound. There is also provided a magnetic recording medium that includes a non-magnetic support and, above the support, at least one magnetic layer including a ferromagnetic powder dispersed in a binder that includes the polyurethane resin.

Abstract: A thermal transfer ink sheet having a dye layer containing a polyvinyl acetal modified with a compound of the formula [1] and a polyvinyl acetal modified with a compound of the formula [2]: wherein R1 represents a substituted alkyl group, etc; R2 represents H, etc; wherein R3 represents a linear hydrocarbon group, etc; R4 represents a hydrogen atom, etc.

Abstract: A thermal transfer ink sheet comprising, as formed on a support, a dye layer containing a thermal transferable dye in a resin binder, wherein the dye layer contains a polyvinyl acetal modified with at least one compound of the following formula [1]: wherein one of R1 and R2 is a branched hydrocarbon group and the other is a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group, or R1 and R2 are groups that bond to each other to form a cyclic hydrocarbon.

Abstract: A thermal transfer ink sheet comprising, as formed on a support, a dye layer containing a thermal transferable dye in a resin binder, wherein the dye layer contains a polyvinyl acetal modified with at least one compound of the following formula [1]: wherein R1 is a substituted linear alkyl group, a substituted branched alkyl group, or a substituted or unsubstituted cyclic group, and R2 is a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted linear alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted branched alkyl group, or a substituted or unsubstituted cyclic group.

Abstract: There is provided a coating composition capable of improving evenness in drying and evenness in airing and causing no impairment of evenness in coating, which is useful for an antireflective film having high uniformity in surface conditions and attaining sufficient antireflection performance and for a polarizing plate and a display device each using such an antireflective film.

Abstract: A novel optical film is disclosed. The film comprises an optically anisotropic layer formed of a composition comprising at least one liquid crystal compound and at least one polymer having a fluoro-aliphatic group and a hydrophilic group selected from the group consisting of a carboxyl group (—COOH), a sulfo group (—SO3H), a phosphono group {—PO(OH)2} and salts thereof; and a substrate supporting the layer.

Abstract: An image-forming method having: superposing a heat-sensitive transfer sheet on an image-receiving sheet so that a receptor layer can be contacted with a thermal transfer layer; and providing thermal energy in accordance with image signals given from a thermal head; in which the heat-sensitive transfer sheet is a sheet containing the thermal transfer layer that contains a colorant and at least one polyester as a binder component of the thermal transfer layer, in which at least one-second by molar ratio of the acid component of said polyester is terephtharic acid, or a sheet containing a thermal transfer layer that contains a colorant on one surface of a substrate film and a heat-resistant sliding layer formed so as to contain a hardener on the other surface of the substrate film; and the image-receiving sheet contains, on a support, the receptor layer that contains one of polyester and/or polycarbonate polymers.

Abstract: An image-forming method, having: superposing an ink sheet on an image-receiving sheet so that a dye layer of the ink sheet can be contacted with at least one receptor layer of the image-receiving sheet; and providing thermal energy according to image signals given from a thermal head to the superposed two sheets, thereby to form images; wherein the ink sheet has a dye layer that contains a thermally transferable color material on one surface of a substrate, wherein the ink sheet further has (a) a heat-resistant sliding layer on the other surface of the substrate or (b) at least one polyester as a binder component, in which at least a half (molar ratio) of an acid component of the polyester is terephthalic acid; and wherein the image-receiving sheet has, on a support, at least one receptor layer containing e.g., a polymer having at least one vinyl chloride repeating unit.

Abstract: An image-forming method, having: superposing a heat-sensitive transfer sheet on a heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet so that at least one receptor layer of the heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet can be contacted with a thermal transfer layer of the heat-sensitive transfer sheet; and providing thermal energy in accordance with image signals given from a thermal head, thereby to form an image; wherein the heat-sensitive transfer sheet has the thermal transfer layer that contains a thermally transferable colorant on one surface of a substrate film, and a heat-resistant sliding layer that is formed so as to contain a hardener on the other surface; and wherein the heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet has, on a support, the at least one receptor layer that contains a latex polymer, and at least one heat insulation layer that contains hollow polymer particles but does not contain a resin having poor resistance to an organic solvent.

Abstract: A coating composition for producing a heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet comprising at least one receiving layer on a support, wherein the coating composition contains a polymer latex containing a repeating unit derived from a monomer represented by the following formula: wherein R1 represents a hydrogen atom, halogen atom or methyl group; L1 represents a divalent connecting group; and Z represents a C8-C50 straight-chain, branched or cyclic hydrocarbon group.

Abstract: An antireflective layer comprising a plurality of functional layers having different refractive indexes, the plurality of functional layers including a lower fractive index layer containing a fluorine-containing copolymer, wherein the low refractive index layer further contains a polymer having a polymer graft part containing a polysiloxane segment represented by the following formula [1] in a side chain of the polymer: wherein R1 and R2 may be same or different and each represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group or an aryl group; and p is an integer of from 10 to 500.

Abstract: An antireflection film comprising: a transparent support; at least one functional layer; and a low-refractive layer, wherein at least one of said at least one functional layer comprises a hydrolyzate and/or a partial condensate of an organosilane compound represented by formula (1), and the antireflection film has an inner haze of from 1 to 50%: where R1 represents a hydrogen atom, a methyl group, a methoxy group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, a cyano group, a fluorine atom, or a chlorine atom; Y represents a single bond, *—COO—**, *—CONH—**, or *—O—**; L represents a divalent linking group; R2 to R4 each independently represents a halogen atom, a hydroxyl group, an unsubstituted alkoxy group, or an unsubstituted alkyl group; R5 represents a hydrogen atom or an unsubstituted alkyl group; R6 represents a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, or a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group; and l indicates a number that satisfies a numerical formula of l=100-m, and m indicates a number of from 0 to 50.

Abstract: A coating composition comprises: a fluoroaliphatic group-containing copolymer comprising a repeating unit A corresponding to a fluoroaliphatic group-containing monomer and a repeating unit B corresponding to at least one monomer, wherein a material obtained by polymerization of only the repeating unit B exhibits a glass transition point of 300K or more. A coating composition comprises: a fluoroaliphatic group-containing copolymer comprising a repeating unit A corresponding to a fluoroaliphatic group-containing monomer and a repeating unit B corresponding to at least one monomer, wherein the fluoroaliphatic group-containing copolymer exhibits a glass transition point of 273K or more.

Abstract: A novel optical film is disclosed. The film comprises an optically anisotropic layer formed of a composition comprising at least one liquid crystal compound and at least one polymer having a fluoro-aliphatic group and a hydrophilic group selected from the group consisting of a carboxyl group (—COOH), a sulfo group (—SO3H), a phosphono group {—PO(OH)2} and salts thereof; and a substrate supporting the layer.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device capable of significantly suppressing an after image is provided. The liquid crystal display device contains substrates arranged as opposed to each other through a liquid crystal; a pixel electrode and a counter electrode for generating an electric field between the pixel electrode and the counter electrode, provided on a pixel region on a surface on a side of the liquid crystal of one of the substrates; and a charge transporting layer provided to cover the pixel electrode and the counter electrode, in which the pixel electrode and the counter electrode are formed in the same layer on one plane, and the liquid crystal has a resistivity of less than 1×1013 ?·cm.