Abstract: To provide a liquid crystal display device that has a high off-response speed and a good balance between drive voltage and transmittance, is stable over time, and also has a high voltage holding ratio. A liquid crystal display device in which a liquid crystal layer containing a polymer network (A) and a liquid crystal composition (B) is disposed between two substrates having an electrode on at least one side thereof and having transparent properties on at least one side thereof, and the loss factor (tan ?) (loss modulus/storage modulus) of the liquid crystal layer calculated from the storage modulus (Pa) and the loss modulus (Pa) in a sinusoidal vibration measured with a rheometer at 25° C. and at a measurement frequency of 1 Hz ranges from 0.1 to 1.

Abstract: To provide a liquid crystal display device that has a high off-response speed and a good balance between drive voltage and transmittance, is stable over time, and also has a high voltage holding ratio. A liquid crystal display device in which a liquid crystal layer containing a polymer network (A) and a liquid crystal composition (B) is disposed between two substrates having an electrode on at least one side thereof and having transparent properties on at least one side thereof, and the loss factor (tan ?) (loss modulus/storage modulus) of the liquid crystal layer calculated from the storage modulus (Pa) and the loss modulus (Pa) in a sinusoidal vibration measured with a rheometer at 25° C. and at a measurement frequency of 1 Hz ranges from 0.1 to 1.

Abstract: A compound and a polymer which can each form a photo-alignment film having excellent ability of controlling alignment, a photo-alignment film obtained using the polymer and an optically anisotropic body and a liquid crystal display element each having the photo-alignment film are provided. A compound represented by the general formula (1). In the formula, P represents a polymerizable group, Z and Z1 represent divalent linking groups, A and A1 represent divalent cyclic groups, and X1 to X5 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a fluorine atom, a chlorine atom, a hydroxy group, a nitro group, a cyano group or an alkyl group having 1 to 40 carbon atoms which may have a substituent, provided that X1, X2, X4 and X5 are not simultaneously hydrogen atoms.

Abstract: “Object” To provide a tilt-imparted liquid crystal display element that is obtained through UV irradiation of a polymerizable liquid crystal composition, whose drive voltage can be reduced with a fast decay time maintained, and that is well balanced between characteristics, such as decay time, drive voltage, and transmittance. A polymerizable liquid crystal composition for use in it is also provided. “Solution” A liquid crystal display element has polymer networks formed in the liquid crystal phase 5 in FIG. 3. The polymer networks are formed by polymerizing a polymerizable liquid crystal composition that contains, as essential ingredients, a radically polymerizable monomer component (A), a liquid crystal material (B), and a polymerization initiator (C) that has a molecular structure resulting from substituting any two or more hydrogen atoms in the aromatic nucleus in the molecular structure of an alkylphenone-based photopolymerization initiator, for example with a C1-10 alkyl group (i).

Abstract: [Problem] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for developing a large anchoring energy by simple processes. [Solution] There is provided a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal alignment film, comprising: a process (I) of mixing a solvent with a photoresponsive polymer to prepare a photoresponsive polymer solution; a process (II) of coating the photoresponsive polymer solution on a substrate, followed by drying at 50 to 100° C. for 1 to 3 minutes and then drying at 120° C. to 180° C. for 5 to 75 minutes to form a coating film; and a process (III) of adjusting a temperature of the coating film while the coating film is irradiated with a light of 200 to 350 nm to 40° C. to 100° C.

Abstract: Provided is an LCD device having excellent high speed responsiveness. This LCD device contains a polymer or a copolymer in a liquid crystal composition sandwiched between two transparent substrates, at least one of which has an electrode, and the content of the polymer or the copolymer is 1% by mass or greater and less than 40% by mass of the total mass of the liquid crystal composition and the polymer or the copolymer. This LCD device can be applied to various operation modes such as TN, STN, ECB, VA, VA-TN, IPS, FFS, a ? cell, OCB, and cholesteric liquid crystals.

Abstract: The liquid crystal display element includes: two transparent substrates; a liquid crystal composition sandwiched between the two transparent substrates and containing one or two or more liquid crystal compounds; and a polymer or copolymer that is included in the liquid crystal composition, the polymer or copolymer being a cured product of a polymerizable composition that contains one or two or more polymerizable compounds and a photopolymerization initiator having a maximum absorption wavelength peak at 310 nm to 380 nm. The content of the polymerizable composition is 1% by mass or more and less than 40% by mass based on the total weight of the polymerizable composition and the liquid crystal composition.

Abstract: Provided is a polymer which is capable of forming a liquid crystal alignment layer that combines an excellent alignment regulating force, high sensitivity with respect to polarized ultraviolet ray, and excellent durability. The polymer includes a side chain unit represented General Formula (I) and a side chain unit represented by General Formula (II), in which a polyamic acid or a polyimide is set as a main chain.

Abstract: A compound and a polymer which can each form a photo-alignment film having excellent ability of controlling alignment, a photo-alignment film obtained using the polymer and an optically anisotropic body and a liquid crystal display element each having the photo-alignment film are provided. A compound represented by the general formula (1). In the formula, P represents a polymerizable group, Z and Z1 represent divalent linking groups, A and A1 represent divalent cyclic groups, and X1 to X5 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a fluorine atom, a chlorine atom, a hydroxy group, a nitro group, a cyano group or an alkyl group having 1 to 40 carbon atoms which may have a substituent, provided that X1, X2, X4 and X5 are not simultaneously hydrogen atoms.

Abstract: The invention provides an acrylic resin-based transparent substrate having an alignment layer spread thereon, wherein the photo-alignment layer and the substrate are kept tightly bonded to each other. The invention also provides a layered body having an acrylic resin-containing transparent substrate and, as formed on one surface of the transparent substrate by spreading and bonding thereto, a photo-alignment layer containing photo-responsive molecules capable of responding to light. According to the invention, there can be provided an acrylic resin-based transparent substrate having on the surface thereof, a photo-alignment layer having excellent adhesion force and containing photo-responsive molecules capable of responding to light.

Abstract: The present inventors have made earnest investigations for enhancing the alignment regulation force of the alignment film, and as a result, it has been found that the alignment regulation force can be easily achieved by controlling the yellowness index (YI) of the alignment film to a certain value or more, and thus has been found that the problems can be solved by the following invention. An image display device containing an image display part containing a liquid crystal layer containing a liquid crystal compound regulating a phase or a velocity of transmitted light, and in contact with the liquid crystal layer, a photo alignment layer regulating alignment of liquid crystal molecules contained in the liquid crystal compound, the alignment layer having a yellowness index (YI) of 0.001<YI<100.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a photoalignment layer with a more reliable absorption anisotropy parameter as a photoalignment layer that allows for reduced AC image-sticking. Specifically, provided is a photoalignment layer, obtained by exposure to polarized UV radiation, that has a maximum ?A (=A1?A2, where A1 is the absorbance in a direction parallel to a vibration direction of the polarized UV radiation, and A2 is the absorbance in a direction parallel to the vibration direction of the polarized UV radiation) of 0.35 or more per micrometer of layer thickness in a range of 230 to 380 nm.

Abstract: [Object] To provide a liquid crystal alignment layer that can easily be formed, to which an anchoring force can be efficiently induced with less polarized light for exposure, and that is effective in controlling the orientation and pretilt angle of liquid crystal molecules, and a compound and polymer that can be used for such a liquid crystal alignment layer.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a photoalignment layer with a more reliable absorption anisotropy parameter as a photoalignment layer that allows for reduced AC image-sticking. Specifically, provided is a photoalignment layer, obtained by exposure to polarized UV radiation, that has a maximum ?A (=A1?A2, where A1 is the absorbance in a direction parallel to a vibration direction of the polarized UV radiation, and A2 is the absorbance in a direction parallel to the vibration direction of the polarized UV radiation) of 0.35 or more per micrometer of layer thickness in a range of 230 to 380 nm.

Abstract: Provided is an LCD device having excellent high speed responsiveness. This LCD device contains a polymer or a copolymer in a liquid crystal composition sandwiched between two transparent substrates, at least one of which has an electrode, and the content of the polymer or the copolymer is 1% by mass or greater and less than 40% by mass of the total mass of the liquid crystal composition and the polymer or the copolymer. This LCD device can be applied to various operation modes such as TN, STN, ECB, VA, VA-TN, TPS, FFS, a ? cell, OCB, and cholesteric liquid crystals.

Abstract: [Object] To provide a liquid crystal alignment layer that can easily be formed, to which an anchoring force can be efficiently induced with less polarized light for exposure, and that is effective in controlling the orientation and pretilt angle of liquid crystal molecules, and a compound and polymer that can be used for such a liquid crystal alignment layer.

Abstract: [Problem] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for developing a large anchoring energy by simple processes. [Solution] There is provided a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal alignment film, comprising: a process (I) of mixing a solvent with a photoresponsive polymer to prepare a photoresponsive polymer solution; a process (II) of coating the photoresponsive polymer solution on a substrate, followed by drying at 50 to 100° C. for 1 to 3 minutes and then drying at 120° C. to 180° C. for 5 to 75 minutes to form a coating film; and a process (III) of adjusting a temperature of the coating film while the coating film is irradiated with a light of 200 to 350 nm to 40° C. to 100° C.