Abstract:
A system having a vertically-aligned negative delta E nematic liquid crystal host material and a small amount of liquid crystal polymer is provided. The liquid crystal polymer improves the switching speed of a vertically aligned nematic system without sacrificing contrast or viewing angle.
Abstract:
A system having a ferroelectric liquid host material and a small amount of polymer additive is provided. In an embodiment, the polymer additive improves the physical characteristics of the system. In an embodiment, the system can be used in FLC applications.
Abstract:
A system having a ferroelectric liquid host material and a small amount of polymer additive is provided. In an embodiment, the polymer additive improves the physical characteristics of the system. In an embodiment, the system can be used in FLC applications.
Abstract:
A system having a vertically-aligned negative delta E nematic liquid crystal host material and a small amount of liquid crystal polymer is provided. The liquid crystal polymer improves the switching speed of a vertically aligned nematic system without sacrificing contrast or viewing angle.
Abstract:
The invention relates to chiral nonracemic liquid crystal compounds which are useful as components in liquid crystal compositions to impart high polarization to the mixture. The materials of this invention can be combined with liquid crystal host materials to impart improved properties to mixtures. Chiral nonracemic compounds of this invention can function as additives or dopants in host materials to impart chirality into an LC material. Most generally the invention provides mixtures containing one or more chiral nonracemic dopants which have a chiral nonracemic tail that is an optionally substituted α-ester γ-lactone of the formula: where * indicates a chiral carbon; R1 is a straight-chain or branched alkyl or alkenyl group wherein one or more non-neighboring carbon atoms can be replaced with an oxygen atom and wherein one or more carbons can be substituted with one or more halogens; R2 and R3, independently of one another, can be hydrogen, a halogen or a lower alkyl or alkenyl group; and X is hydrogen or a lower alkyl group. LC compounds having a chiral nonracemic tail of this general formula have large dipoles (and large spontaneous polarization (Ps)) and when doped into hosts such as achiral smectic C FLC hosts, lead to improved switching speeds of the FLC materials.
Abstract:
Chiral nonracemic, chiral racemic and achiral compounds useful as component of LC compositions which have a silane tail group which is partially fluorinated. The silane tail group comprises a perfluoroalkyl group. The silane tail group of this invention has the formula: where k is 0 or an integer ranging from 1-10; m and n are integers ranging from 1 to about 20; j is 0 or an integer ranging from 1 to 20; Z is —O— or a single bond; R1, R1′, R2 and R2′ are alkyl groups or perfluorinated alkyl groups; and RF is a perfluorinated alkyl group. The invention also provides LC compositions comprising one or more compounds of the invention with partially fluorinated silane tails. The invention also provides optical devices, particularly display devices which contain an aligned layer of an LC composition comprising one or more silane compounds of this invention.
Abstract:
Provided is a method for measuring one or more properties of liquid crystals in an automated manner. Also provided is a liquid crystal analysis instrument (LCAS) that automatically measures one or more properties of liquid crystals.
Abstract:
A liquid crystal compound represented by the following formula is provided to enhance the contrast of a liquid crystal device using ferroeloctric liquid crystal: R1 is an alkyl group having 4 to 6 carbon atoms. R2 is an alkyl group having 6 to 18 carbon atoms or an alkoxy group having 6 to 18 carbon atoms. X1 and X2 are each independently hydrogen ox fluorine.
Abstract:
The invention provides LC compositions that exhibit V-shaped switching when aligned in an analog device configuration and exhibit bistability when aligned in a bookshelf-type device configuration. The invention more specifically provides LC compositions of formula 1 and particularly chiral nonracemic compounds of formula 1 which exhibit bistable switching as well as V-shaped switching when aligned in appropriate device configurations. The invention also provides methods of using the compounds of the invention in making LC compositions and electooptical devices comprising an aligned layer of the compositions of this invention.