Abstract: The present invention relates to amine compositions and the preparation of polyimides. The polyimides can be used for inducing alignment of a liquid crystal medium with polarized light in liquid crystal display elements.

Abstract: A process for aligning liquid crystals adjacent to a surface of an optical alignment layer comprising: exposing at least one optical alignment layer, comprising anisotropically absorbing molecules, to polarized light; the polarized light having a wavelength within the absorption band of said anisotropically absorbing molecules; wherein the exposed anisotropically absorbing molecules induce alignment of a liquid crystal medium at an angle + and - with respect to the direction of the polarization of the incident light beam and along the surface of the optical alignment layer; and applying a liquid crystal medium to said optical alignment layer; wherein said anisotropically absorbing molecules consist essentially of diaryl ketones, is described.

Abstract: The present invention relates to amine compositions and the preparation of polyimides. The polyimides can be used for inducing alignment of a liquid crystal medium with polarized light and liquid crystal display elements.

Abstract: A process for inducing pre-tilt in alignment of a liquid crystal medium comprising exposing at least one optical alignment layer, comprising anisotropically absorbing molecules and hydrophobic moieties, to polarized light; the polarized light having a wavelength within the absorption band of said anisotropically absorbing molecules; wherein the exposed anisotropically absorbing molecules induce alignment of the liquid crystal medium at an angle + and -.theta. with respect to the direction of the polarization of the incident light beam and along the surface of the optical alignment layer, and induce a pre-tilt at an angle .PHI. with respect to the surface of the optical alignment layer and applying a liquid crystal medium to said optical alignment layer, is described. The invention also is directed to liquid crystal display elements made by the process of the invention and to novel polyimide compositions that are useful as optical alignment layers in the invention.

Abstract: A process for inducing pre-tilt in alignment of a liquid crystal medium comprising exposing at least one optical alignment layer, comprising anisotropically absorbing molecules and hydrophobic moieties, to polarized light; the polarized light having a wavelength within the absorption band of said anisotropically absorbing molecules; wherein the exposed anisotropically absorbing molecules induce alignment of the liquid crystal medium at an angle + and -.theta. with respect to the direction of the polarization of the incident light beam and along the surface of the optical alignment layer, and induce a pre-tilt at an angle .PHI. with respect to the surface of the optical alignment layer and applying a liquid crystal medium to said optical alignment layer, is described. The invention also is directed to liquid crystal display elements made by the process of the invention and to novel polyimide compositions that are useful as optical alignment layers in the invention.

Abstract: An optical storage medium with gray scale capability comprising: a plurality of facing substrates in series; alignment layers disposed on one or both sides of the substrates to give alignment layer pair(s) wherein at least one of the alignment layers of each of the alignment layer pair(s) is an optical alignment layer, and wherein the optical alignment layer(s) comprise anisotropically absorbing molecules or moieties; liquid crystal layers disposed between the alignment layer pair(s); wherein, each of the liquid crystal layer(s) comprises three or more alignment regions having three or more different alignment states; and, wherein the different alignment states are controlled by exposure of optical alignment layer(s) with polarized light of a wavelength or wavelengths within the absorption band of the anisotropically absorbing molecules or moieties therein, is described. The invention is also directed to compact disc, erasable compact discs, photographic storage devices, and storage displays.

Abstract: A process for inducing pre-tilt in alignment of a liquid crystal medium comprising exposing at least one optical alignment layer, comprising anisotropically absorbing molecules and hydrophobic moieties, to polarized light; the polarized light having a wavelength within the absorption band of said anisotropically absorbing molecules; wherein the exposed anisotropically absorbing molecules induce alignment of the liquid crystal medium at an angle + and -.theta. with respect to the direction of the polarization of the incident light beam and along the surface of the optical alignment layer, and induce a pre-tilt at an angle .PHI. with respect to the surface of the optical alignment layer and applying a liquid crystal medium to said optical alignment layer, is described. The invention also is directed to liquid crystal display elements made by the process of the invention and to novel polyimide compositions that are useful as optical alignment layers in the invention.

Abstract: A process for aligning liquid crystals adjacent to a surface of an optical alignment layer comprising: exposing at least one optical alignment layer, comprising anisotropically absorbing molecules, to polarized light; the polarized light having a wavelength within the absorption band of said anisotropically absorbing molecules; wherein the exposed anisotropically absorbing molecules induce alignment of a liquid crystal medium at an angle +and-.theta. with respect to the direction of the polarization of the incident light beam and along the surface of the optical alignment layer; and applying a liquid crystal medium to said optical alignment layer; wherein said anisotropically absorbing molecules consist essentially of diaryl ketones, is described.

Abstract: A process for inducing pre-tilt in alignment of a liquid crystal medium comprising exposing at least one optical alignment layer, comprising anisotropically absorbing molecules and hydrophobic moieties, to polarized light; the polarized light having a wavelength within the absorption band of said anisotropically absorbing molecules; wherein the exposed anisotropically absorbing molecules induce alignment of the liquid crystal medium at an angle + and -.theta. with respect to the direction of the polarization of the incident light beam and along the surface of the optical alignment layer, and induce a pre-tilt at an angle .PHI. with respect to the surface of the optical alignment layer and applying a liquid crystal medium to said optical alignment layer, is described. The invention also is directed to liquid crystal display elements made by the process of the invention and to novel polyimide compositions that are useful as optical alignment layers in the invention.

Abstract: Organosilicon polymers, including crosslinked polymers and crosslinkable prepolymers, of cyclic polysiloxanes, organic dyes, and, optionally, polyenes. The dyes include those with delocalized Pi electron systems linking electron donor groups and electron acceptor groups, and with at least two carbon-carbon double bond-containing pendant groups attached to at least two different sites from among the indicated delocalized Pi electron systems, donor groups, and acceptor groups. Also disclosed are optical substrates coated with the organosilicon crosslinked polymers exhibiting second order non-linear optical susceptibility.

Abstract: Arylazo and poly(arylazo) dyes having at least one core radical selected from naphthyl or anthracyl and having at least one 2,3-dihydro-1,3-dialkyl perimidine substituent, a guest-host composition comprising a liquid crystal host solvent and the arylazo or poly(arylazo) dichroic dye, and a liquid crystal display comprising the guest-host composition, are disclosed.

Abstract: Liquid crystal coupled dichroic dye compositions comprising a dichroic dye moiety coupled to one or two liquid crystal moieties by a flexible spacer group having at least four atoms linked in a linear fashion; guest-host compositions comprising such liquid crystal coupled dichroic dye compositions dissolved in liquid crystal hosts and devices comprising such guest-host compositions; and liquid crystal coupled aromatic amines useful for forming the liquid crystal coupled dichroic dyes, are disclosed.

Abstract: Arylazo and poly(arylazo) dyes having at least one core radical selected from naphthyl or anthracyl and having at least one 2,3-dihydro-1,3-dialkyl perimidine substituent, a guest-host composition comprising a liquid crystal host solvent and the arylazo or poly(arylazo) dichroic dye, and a liquid crystal display comprising the guest-host composition, are disclosed.

Abstract: Organosilicon polymers, including crosslinked polymers and crosslinkable prepolymers, of cyclic polysiloxanes, organic dyes, and, optionally, polyenes. The dyes include those with delocalized Pi electron systems linking electron donor groups and electron acceptor groups, and with at least two carbon-carbon double bond-containing pendant groups attached to at least two different sites from among the indicated delocalized Pi electron systems, donor groups, and acceptor groups.

Abstract: Organosilicon polymers, including crosslinked polymers and crosslinkable prepolymers, of cyclic polysiloxanes, organic dyes, and, optionally, polyenes. The dyes include those with delocalized Pi electron systems linking electron donor groups and electron acceptor groups, and with at least two carbon-carbon double bond-containing pendant groups attached to at least two different sites from among the indicated delocalized Pi electron systems, donor groups, and acceptor groups.

Abstract: This invention is a polymerizable nematic monomer composition comprising (A) 20 to 80 weight % of at least one monomer having the following general formula wherein n is 10, 12 or 14, and (B) 80 to 20 weight % of at least one monomer having the following general formula wherein n is 4, 6 or 8: ##STR1## wherein R is CH.sub.3 or H and Y is covalent bond or --CO.sub.2 --.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to liquid cyrstalline polyesters which are soluble and have low melting points. Preferably the solubility in halogenated solvent is greater than 10 wt. % and the crystalline melting point is less than 125.degree. C. The polyesters are thermotropic and nematic, and preferably have a number average molecular weight from 1,000 to 25,000. The polyesters include a cyclohexane ring in the backbone and are more particularly main-chain thermotropic polyester which contain trans-1,4 cyclohexane dicarboxylate mesogens and flexible spacer groups. These compositions are useful in coating applications including floor coverings.

Abstract: Processes for preparing 2,3-dihydro-1,3-dialkyl-2,2-dialkyl perimidines and N,N'-dialkyl-1,8-naphthalene diamines are disclosed. The 2,3-dihydro-1,3-dialkyl-2,2-dialkyl perimidines are prepared by alkylating 2,3-dihydro-2,2-dialkyl perimidines with an alkylating agent in a water miscible organic solvent at room temperature to 80.degree. C. in the presence of water and an inorganic base. N,N'-dialkyl-1,8-naphthalene diamines are prepared by hydrolyzing the 2,3-dihydro-1,3-dialkyl-2,2-dialkyl perimidines with strong aqueous acid in an aqueous organic solvent and removing a ketone by-product and the aqueous organic solvent by codistillation.

Abstract: A liquid crystal polymer film or fiber comprising polymeric liquid crystals having aligned multiple oriented mesogens and a process for preparing such a polymeric liquid crystal film or fiber comprising aligning in a multi-oriented state a nematic or smectic monomeric mesophase (liquid crystal monomer) and photopolymerizing the mesophase, are disclosed. The film or fiber may be adhered to a substrate, part of a liquid crystal display cell, or a free standing polymeric film or fiber. According to a preferred process, the mesophase is aligned in a multi-oriented state using linearly polarized light.

Abstract: A method for producing a differentially dyeable polyamide is disclosed. Polyamides produced according to the process of this invention will have distinct areas thereon that show varying degrees of receptivity to acid dyes and can thereby be differentially dyed using a single dyebath.