Abstract: The present invention provides a polymerizable liquid crystal composition including a specific polymerizable compound and a fluorosurfactant having specific polyoxyalkylene skeleton and molecular weight. Also, an optically anisotropic body, a phase difference film, an antireflection film, and a liquid crystal display device, which are produced by using the polymerizable liquid crystal composition according to the present invention, are provided. The present invention is useful because three properties, that is, leveling properties of the surface of an optically anisotropic body, offset to a base material, and alignment properties of a liquid crystal can be improved at the same time in the case where the optically anisotropic body is produced by photopolymerizing the polymerizable liquid crystal composition.

Abstract: There is provided a liquid crystal composition which enables a significant reduction in crystallization temperature as compared with addition of a homolog while having a similar skeleton structure, which has an excellent compatibility, and which enables an increase in the absolute value of negative dielectric anisotropy (??). The liquid crystal composition contains two or more compounds which each have two to four ring structures between two side chains. At least one of the ring structures is a 2,3-difluorobenzene skeleton. The two side chains are bonded to different ring structures. The positions of the 2,3-difluorobenzene skeletons are different from each other, and the number of the ring structures are the same as each other.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device that includes a particular color filter containing a material containing chiral liquid crystals and a particular pigment. The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device that can prevent a decrease in the voltage holding ratio (VHR) of a liquid crystal layer and solve the problem of display defects, such as white spots, variations in alignment, and burn-in. Because liquid crystal display devices according to the present invention characteristically prevent a decrease in the voltage holding ratio (VHR) of a liquid crystal layer and reduces the occurrence of display defects, such as burn-in, the liquid crystal display devices are particularly useful as liquid crystal display devices in IPS mode and FFS mode for active-matrix driving and can be applied to household electrical appliances, automobiles, production facilities, measuring and analytical instruments, and communication devices.

Abstract: The present invention provides a polymerizable liquid crystal composition containing at least one polymerizable liquid crystal compound (I) having one polymerizable functional group in its molecule, at least one polymerizable liquid crystal compound (II) having two polymerizable functional groups in its molecule, and at least one compound (III) having tree or more aromatic rings at least one of which is substituted by an alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms or an alkoxy group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms. Also, the present invention provides an optically anisotropic body using the polymerizable liquid crystal composition of the present invention.

Abstract: The liquid crystal light modulator includes a first substrate (10) and a second substrate (20) disposed between two polarizers, and a pair of electrode structures (24, 24). The substrates include homeotropic alignment films (12) and (22), and at least one of the substrates has a function of aligning C-directors of liquid crystal molecules along one direction. The one direction forms an azimuth angle in the range of 35 to 55 degrees with the direction of the electric field generated by the pair of electrode structures (24, 24). A liquid crystal composition layer (31) contains a ferroelectric liquid crystal composition having a chiral smectic C phase or a liquid crystal composition that has an achiral smectic C phase and negative dielectric anisotropy. Light transmittance is modulated by the electric field generated by the electrode structures (24, 24) changing the birefringence index of the liquid crystal composition layer (31).

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a polymerizable liquid crystal composition that has an excellent storage stability and that enables a film formed by application of the composition to a base material and the subsequent exposure to heat or active energy rays to have a good adhesion to the base material. It is another object of the present invention to provide an optically anisotropic body that is produced using such a polymerizable composition and that has a good orientation. In particular, the present invention provides a polymerizable liquid crystal composition containing a polymerizable adhesion enhancer and a polymerizable liquid crystal compound. In addition, the present invention also provides an optically anisotropic body containing such a polymerizable liquid crystal composition.

Abstract: There is provided a polymerizable liquid crystal composition that enables a film formed through application of the composition and exposure thereof to heat or active energy rays to have an excellent molecular alignment and reduced haze. There is also provided an optically anisotropic body that is produced by using such a polymerizable liquid crystal composition and that has a good transparency. In particular, the present invention provides a polymerizable liquid crystal composition containing a polymerizable haze-reducing agent and a polymerizable liquid crystal compound. Furthermore, the present invention also provides an optically anisotropic body produced by using the polymerizable liquid crystal composition of the present invention.

Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device which can prevent a decrease in a voltage holding ratio (VHR) of a liquid crystal layer and an increase in ion density (ID) and solve a problem of a display defect such as white spots, alignment irregularities, burn-in, or the like. The present-invention provides a liquid crystal display device which uses a liquid crystal composition containing a liquid crystal compound having a specific structure as a liquid crystal layer, and an optically anisotropic body obtained by polymerizing a polymerizable liquid crystal composition containing a polymerizable liquid crystal compound having a specific structure at a specific ratio as an in-cell type retardation film.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a polymerizable liquid crystal composition with which two characteristics of smoothness of a surface of an anisotropic optical body and orientation properties of liquid crystals can be simultaneously improved, when preparing an anisotropic optical body to be obtained by photopolymerization of the polymerizable liquid crystal composition. Specifically, an object of the present invention is to provide a polymerizable liquid crystal composition containing specific polymerizable compounds and a fluorine-based surfactant. In addition, an anisotropic optical body, a retardation film, an antireflective film, and a liquid crystal display element prepared using the polymerizable liquid crystal composition of the present invention are also provided.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel liquid crystal composition which exhibits a smectic C* phase and in which a fluorine-substituent-introduced liquid crystal compound that exhibits a smectic C* phase is used to enhance the reliability of a liquid crystal device driven by a TFT and to decrease the melting point thereof for expansion of the operation temperature of the liquid crystal device. The liquid crystal composition of the present invention contains at least two liquid crystal compounds each containing a mesogenic group having at least three rings of which at least one is a 2,3-difluorobenzene-1,4-diyl group and two terminal groups having different structures, wherein a compound having a pyrimidine skeleton is not used.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device that includes a particular color filter containing a material containing chiral liquid crystals and a particular pigment. The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device that can prevent a decrease in the voltage holding ratio (VHR) of a liquid crystal layer and solve the problem of display defects, such as white spots, variations in alignment, and burn-in. Because liquid crystal display devices according to the present invention characteristically prevent a decrease in the voltage holding ratio (VHR) of a liquid crystal layer and reduces the occurrence of display defects, such as burn-in, the liquid crystal display devices are particularly useful as liquid crystal display devices in IPS mode and FFS mode for active-matrix driving and can be applied to household electrical appliances, automobiles, production facilities, measuring and analytical instruments, and communication devices.

Abstract: The liquid crystal light modulator includes a first substrate (10) and a second substrate (20) disposed between two polarizers, and a pair of electrode structures (24, 24). The substrates include homeotropic alignment films (12) and (22), and at least one of the substrates has a function of aligning C-directors of liquid crystal molecules along one direction. The one direction forms an azimuth angle in the range of 35 to 55 degrees with the direction of the electric field generated by the pair of electrode structures (24, 24). A liquid crystal composition layer (31) contains a ferroelectric liquid crystal composition having a chiral smectic C phase or a liquid crystal composition that has an achiral smectic C phase and negative dielectric anisotropy. Light transmittance is modulated by the electric field generated by the electrode structures (24, 24) changing the birefringence index of the liquid crystal composition layer (31).

Abstract: There are provided a radical polymerizable composition having a low viscosity suitable for coating, a cured product obtained by curing the composition, the cured product having a high refractive index and high toughness and being not easily cracked or chipped when cutting, and a plastic lens obtained by curing the composition. A radical polymerizable composition includes phenylbenzyl(meth)acrylate (A), a urethane(meth)acrylate (X) having an aromatic ring in its molecular structure, and a radical polymerization initiator (Y) as essential components.

Abstract: There are provided a radically polymerizable composition that has a low viscosity suitable for use in coating and that forms a cured product having a high refractive index, a cured product formed by curing the composition, and plastic lens formed by curing the composition. The radically polymerizable composition includes, as essential components, phenylbenzyl acrylate (A); and bis[(meth)acryloylmethyl]biphenyl (B) or biphenyl compound (C) having a molecular structure in which biphenyl structures are bonded to each other through a methylene.

Abstract: There is provided a liquid crystal composition which enables a significant reduction in crystallization temperature as compared with addition of a homologue while having a similar skeleton structure, which has an excellent compatibility, and which enables an increase in the absolute value of negative dielectric anisotropy (??). The liquid crystal composition contains two or more compounds which each have two to four ring structures between two side chains. At least one of the ring structures is a 2,3-difluorobenzene skeleton. The two side chains are bonded to different ring structures. The positions of the 2,3-difluorobenzene skeletons are different from each other, and the number of the ring structures are the same as each other.

Abstract: There are provided a radically polymerizable composition that has a low viscosity suitable for use in coating and that forms a cured product having a high refractive index, a cured product formed by curing the composition, and plastic lens formed by curing the composition. The radically polymerizable composition includes, as essential components, phenylbenzyl acrylate (A); and bis[(meth)acryloylmethyl]biphenyl (B) or biphenyl compound (C) having a molecular structure in which biphenyl structures are bonded to each other through a methylene.

Abstract: There are provided a radical polymerizable composition having a low viscosity suitable for coating and a cured product and a plastic lens each obtained by curing the composition, the cured product having a high refractive index, good adhesiveness to a plastic film substrate, and good adhesiveness kept even under high-temperature and high-humidity conditions. The radical polymerizable composition includes phenylbenzyl (meth)acrylate (A), an epoxy (meth)acrylate (X) having an aromatic ring in its molecular structure, and a radical polymerization initiator (Y) as essential components.

Abstract: There are provided a radical polymerizable composition having a low viscosity suitable for coating and a cured product and a plastic lens each obtained by curing the composition, the cured product having a high refractive index, good adhesiveness to a plastic film substrate, and good adhesiveness kept even under high-temperature and high-humidity conditions. The radical polymerizable composition includes phenylbenzyl (meth)acrylate (A), an epoxy (meth)acrylate (X) having an aromatic ring in its molecular structure, and a radical polymerization initiator (Y) as essential components.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a ferroelectric liquid crystal composition and a ferroelectric liquid crystal display element. The present invention provides a ferroelectric liquid crystal composition and a ferroelectric liquid crystal display element using this ferroelectric liquid crystal. The ferroelectric liquid crystal composition of the present invention contains at least one liquid crystal compound and has a chiral smectic C phase, and when the ferroelectric liquid crystal composition is sandwiched between substrates, a layer normal direction of the chiral smectic C phase is 80° to 90° with respect to the substrate surface. According to the ferroelectric liquid crystal composition and the ferroelectric liquid crystal display element of the present invention, since an alignment restoring ability is excellent, the present invention is useful for application in which a pressing force is repeatedly applied.

Abstract: A ferroelectric liquid crystal composition having a chiral smectic C-phase is disposed as a liquid crystal composition layer between a first substrate and a second substrate arranged between two polarizing plates of which the planes of polarization are orthogonal to each other. The substrates are provided with vertically oriented films, respectively, and at least one of them is provided with orientation treatment that can form a pretilt angle in a certain direction. The C-director of the liquid crystal molecule is oriented in the certain direction at a portion being in contact with the substrate provided with the orientation treatment and is twisted by at least 180° between the first substrate and the second substrate. At least one of the substrates is provided with a pair of electrode structures generating electric fields approximately parallel to each other.