Polymerizable liquid crystal composition, optical device, method of manufacturing optical device, and liquid crystal display

1. A polymerizable liquid crystal composition comprising:

a polymerizable liquid crystal monomer represented by the following general formula 3, the polymerizable liquid crystal monomer capable of achieving hybrid alignment on an alignment processed surface:

and

at least one of a photopolymerization initiator represented by the following general formula (1) or a photopolymerization initiator represented by the following general formula (2):

wherein,

R1 to R6 each independently represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group,

W 1 and W 2 each independently represents a single bond, —O—, —COO—, or —OCO—,

Y 1 and Y 2 each independently represents —COO— or —OCO—,

p and q each independently represents an integer of from 2 to 18, and a hydrogen atom or atoms in each of the three 1,4-phenylene groups present in the formula may be independently substituted with one or more of an alkyl group, an alkoxy group or an alkanoyl group each having from 1 to 7 carbon atoms, a cyano group, and a halogen atom.

2. The polymerizable liquid crystal composition according to claim 1 , wherein a fluorine based surfactant or an acrylic surfactant is contained.

3. An optical device comprising:

a polymerizable liquid crystal monomer hybrid-aligned therein; and

at least one of a photopolymerization initiator represented by the following general formula (1) and a photopolymerization initiator represented by the following general formula (2):

wherein R1 to R6 each independently represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group.

4. The optical device according to claim 3 , wherein

the polymerizable liquid crystal monomer is represented by the following general formula (3):

wherein W 1 and W 2 each independently represents a single bond, —O—, —COO—, or —OCO—; Y 1 and Y 2 each independently represents —COO— or —OCO—; p and q each independently represents an integer of from 2 to 18; and a hydrogen atom or atoms in each of the three 1,4-phenylene groups present in the formula may be independently substituted with one or more of an alkyl group, an alkoxy group or an alkanoyl group each having from 1 to 7 carbon atoms, a cyano group, and a halogen atom.

5. The optical device according to claim 3 , wherein a fluorine based surfactant or an acrylic surfactant is contained.

6. The optical device according to claim 3 , which is configured of a stack structure of a layer having the polymerizable liquid crystal monomer hybrid-aligned therein and other liquid crystal layer.

7. A method of manufacturing an optical device having a polymerizable liquid crystal monomer hybrid-aligned therein, which comprises the steps of:

coating and fabricating a solution of a polymerizable liquid crystal monomer and at least one of a photopolymerization initiator represented by the following general formula (1) and a photopolymerization initiator represented by the following general formula (2) dissolved in a solvent on an alignment processed surface;

thermally processing the coated and fabricated solution to hybrid-align the polymerizable liquid crystal monomer; and

three-dimensionally crosslinking the hybrid-aligned polymerizable liquid crystal monomer upon irradiation with radiations:

wherein R1 to R6 each independently represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group.

8. The method of manufacturing an optical device according to claim 7 , wherein

the polymerizable liquid crystal monomer is represented by the following general formula (3):

wherein W 1 and W 2 each independently represents a single bond, —O—, —COO—, or —OCO—; Y 1 and Y 2 each independently represents —COO— or —OCO—; p and q each independently represents an integer of from 2 to 18; and a hydrogen atom or atoms in each of the three 1,4-phenylene groups present in the formula may be independently substituted with one or more of an alkyl group, an alkoxy group or an alkanoyl group each having from 1 to 7 carbon atoms, a cyano group, and a halogen atom.

9. A liquid crystal display comprising:

a combination of a liquid crystal cell having a liquid crystal layer interposed between a pair of substrates and a retardation layer having a polymerizable liquid crystal monomer hybrid-aligned therein, wherein

the retardation layer is one fabricated and formed in a side of the liquid crystal layer in the one-sided substrate of the pair of substrates; and

at least one of a photopolymerization initiator represented by the following general formula (1) and a photopolymerization initiator represented by the following general formula (2) is contained:

wherein R1 to R6 each independently represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group.

10. The liquid crystal display according to claim 9 , wherein

the polymerizable liquid crystal monomer is represented by the following general formula (3):

wherein W 1 and W 2 each independently represents a single bond, —O—, —COO—, or —OCO—; Y 1 and Y 2 each independently represents —COO— or —OCO—; p and q each independently represents an integer of from 2 to 18; and a hydrogen atom or atoms in each of the three 1,4-phenylene groups present in the formula may be independently substituted with one or more of an alkyl group, an alkoxy group or an alkanoyl group each having from 1 to 7 carbon atoms, a cyano group, and a halogen atom.

11. The liquid crystal display according to claim 9 , wherein the liquid crystal cell is driven in an electrically controlled birefringence mode.

12. The liquid crystal display according to claim 9 , wherein the retardation layer is provided on the one-sided substrate via a color filter.

13. The liquid crystal display according to claim 9 , wherein the retardation layer is provided on the one-sided substrate via a flattened film.