Abstract: The invention relates to a liquid-crystalline medium comprising one or more compounds of the formula IA and, one or more compounds of formula BS wherein the occurring groups have the meanings indicated in claim 1, and to the use thereof in an active-matrix display, in particular in a VA, IPS, U-IPS, FFS, UB-FFS, SA-VA, SA-FFS, PS-VA, PS-OCB, PS-IPS, PS-FFS, PS-UB-FFS, PS-posi-VA, PS-TN, polymer stabilised SA-VA or polymer stabilised SA-FFS display.

Abstract: The invention relates to a light modulation element comprising a pair of substrates, one or more optical films located on the inner side of one of the substrates, an electrode structure capable of inducing an electric field substantially in parallel to the substrates main plane, and a homogenously aligned liquid crystalline medium which is obtainable from a photoalignment component A) and a liquid-crystalline component B). Furthermore, the invention relates process of production of the light modulation element, to the use of the light modulation element in an electro optical device and to an electro optical device comprising said light modulation element.

Abstract: The use of functionalized polymerizable polyvinyl alcohol as a binder or matrix for a dispersion of nanoparticles, wherein the nanoparticles respectively comprise a polymeric shell and a core containing a liquid crystalline medium. Composites comprising the functionalized polymer and the nanocapsules, methods for preparing the composites and electro-optical devices containing such composites.

Abstract: The invention relates to a liquid crystal medium comprising one or more dielectrically negative compounds and one or more dielectrically positive compounds, characterized in that the medium as a whole exhibits a dielectrically anisotropy (??) in the range from ?0.25 to +0.25. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method of production of such medium and to the use of such medium in a light modulation element utilizing flexoelectric switching. Moreover, the invention relates to a light modulation element utilizing flexoelectric switching comprising the described medium, to a method of production of such light modulation element, to the use of such light modulation element in electro-optical devices and to these electro-optical devices as such.

Abstract: Bimesogenic compounds of formula I and their use in liquid crystal media and in flexoelectric liquid crystal devices.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process of preparing a light modulation element of the PS-ULH (polymer stabilised ULH) type, which allows to reduce the operational voltage and allows to improve the switching time of the light modulation element.

Abstract: The invention relates to a light modulation element comprising a pair of substrates, one or more optical films located on the inner side of one of the substrates, an electrode structure capable of inducing an electric field substantially in parallel to the substrates main plane, and a homogenously aligned liquid crystalline medium which is obtainable from a photoalignment component A) and a liquid-crystalline component B). Furthermore, the invention relates process of production of the light modulation element, to the use of the light modulation element in an electro optical device and to an electro optical device comprising said light modulation element.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device wherein a liquid crystal mixture having positive dielectric anisotropy or negative dielectric anisotropy is interposed between a first substrate and a second substrate, the liquid crystal mixture comprising liquid crystal molecules, a self assembling photoalignment agent, a polymerisable compound, and wherein said LC mixture is photoaligned by irradiation with linearly polarised ultraviolet light and then cured by irradiation with ultraviolet light.

Abstract: The invention relates to cinnamic acid derivatives of formula S wherein the radicals have the meaning indicated in claim 1, to a process for their preparation and their use as self assembling photoalignment agent in liquid crystal mixtures. The invention further relates to a process for the fabrication of a liquid crystal (LC) display device with homogeneous alignment by photoaligning a liquid crystal mixture with positive or negative dielectric anisotropy comprising one or more compounds of formula S and optionally a polymerizable compound, to the liquid crystal mixture comprising the self assembling photoaligning agent and optionally the polymerizable compound and to the LC display produced by said process.

Abstract: The invention relates to bimesogenic compounds of formula I wherein R11, R12, MG11, MG12, X11, X12 and Sp1 have the meaning given in claim 1, to the use of bimesogenic compounds of formula l in liquid crystal media and particular to flexoelectric liquid crystal devices comprising a liquid crystal medium according to the present invention.

Abstract: The invention provides a light modulation element comprising a flexoelectric polarisable liquid-crystalline medium, characterized in that the switching from a boundary state A to a boundary state B comprises a combination of a distinct flexoelectric switching regime and a distinct dielectric switching regime upon application of an electric field. Furthermore, the present invention relates to the use of such a light modulation element in an electro-optical device, i.e. an LCD display device, and electrooptical devices comprising the light modulation element according to the present invention. Moreover, the invention relates to a method of production of the light modulation element according to the present invention.

Abstract: The invention relates to bimesogenic compounds of formula I wherein R11, R12, MG11, MG12, X11, X12 and Sp1 have the meaning given in claim 1, to the use of bimesogenic compounds of formula I in liquid crystal media and particular to flexoelectric liquid crystal devices comprising a liquid crystal medium according to the present invention.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compositions for nanoencapsulation which comprise the mesogenic medium as set forth in claim 1, one or more polymerizable compounds and one or more surfactants, to nanocapsules containing the mesogenic medium and to their use in electro-optical devices.

Abstract: The use of functionalized polymerizable polyvinyl alcohol as a binder or matrix for a dispersion of nanoparticles, wherein the nanoparticles respectively comprise a polymeric shell and a core containing a liquid crystalline medium. Composites comprising the functionalized polymer and the nanocapsules, methods for preparing the composites and electro-optical devices containing such composites.

Abstract: The invention relates to mesogenic media comprising one or more bimesogenic compounds, one or more nematogenic compound, one or more chiral compound and a compound of formula I, R11-A11-(Z12-A12)m-AG??I in which, the parameter A11, A12, Z12 and R11 have one of the meanings as given in claim 1, and to the use of these mesogenic media in liquid crystal devices and in particular in flexoelectric liquid crystal devices, as well as to liquid crystal devices comprising a liquid crystal medium according to the present invention.

Abstract: The invention relates to bimesogenic compounds of formula I wherein R11, R12, MG11, MG12, X11, X12 and Sp1 have the meaning given in claim 1, to the use of bimesogenic compounds of formula I in liquid crystal media and particular to flexoelectric liquid crystal devices comprising a liquid crystal medium according to the present invention.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device wherein a liquid crystal mixture having positive dielectric anisotropy or negative dielectric anisotropy is interposed between a first substrate and a second substrate, the liquid crystal mixture comprising liquid crystal molecules, a self assembling photoalignment agent, a polymerisable compound, and wherein said LC mixture is photoaligned by irradiation with linearly polarised ultraviolet light and then cured by irradiation with ultraviolet light.

Abstract: The invention relates to cinnamic acid derivatives of formula S wherein the radicals have the meaning indicated in claim 1, to a process for their preparation and their use as self assembling photoalignment agent in liquid crystal mixtures. The invention further relates to a process for the fabrication of a liquid crystal (LC) display device with homogeneous alignment by photoaligning a liquid crystal mixture with positive or negative dielectric anisotropy comprising one or more compounds of formula S and optionally a polymerisable compound, to the liquid crystal mixture comprising the self assembling photoaligning agent and optionally the polymerisable compound and to the LC display produced by said process.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electro-rheological fluid comprising particles of at least one inorganic or organic material suspended in a polar liquid crystalline medium, the use of such electro-rheological fluid in an haptic device, an haptic device itself, a method of the production of such haptic device and the use of such haptic device in electro-optical devices.

Abstract: The invention relates to mesogenic media comprising a first component, component A, consisting of bimesogenic compounds selected from the group of compounds of formulae A-I to A-III a second component, component B, consisting of nematogenic compounds, preferably selected from the group of compounds of formulae B-I to B-III and a third component, component C, consisting of one or more chiral molecules, wherein the parameters have the meaning given in claim 1, to the use of mesogenic media in flexoelectric liquid crystal devices and to those devices comprising a liquid crystal medium according to the present invention.