Optically anisotropic layer, method of manufacturing the same, laminate, method of manufacturing the same, polarizing plate, liquid crystal display device, and organic EL display device

1. An optically anisotropic layer,

wherein a polymerizable composition, containing one or more polymerizable rod-like liquid crystal compound showing a smectic phase, is fixed in a state of smectic phase, and a direction of maximum refractive index of said optically anisotropic layer is inclined at 10° or smaller to the surface of said optically anisotropic layer,

wherein the polymerizable rod-like liquid crystal compound is represented by a formula having at least one mesogen group, at least one radical-polymerizable group, and at least one group containing 6 or more carbon atoms selected from alkylene groups and alkylene oxide groups,

wherein a ratio of the polymerizable rod-like liquid crystal compound which remains unpolymerized is 5% by mass or less, and

wherein the content of the polymerizable rod-like liquid crystal compound is 50% or more by mass of the total solid content of the polymerizable composition.

2. The optically anisotropic layer of claim 1 , wherein the polymerizable rod-like liquid crystal compound has a molecular weight of 1300 or smaller.

3. The optically anisotropic layer of claim 1 , wherein the polymerizable rod-like liquid crystal compound is represented by a formula having at least one group containing 6 to 12 carbon atoms selected from alkylene groups and alkylene oxide groups.

4. The optically anisotropic layer of claim 1 , wherein the polymerizable rod-like liquid crystal compound is represented by a formula having at least one alkylene oxide groups containing 6 or more carbon atoms.

5. The optically anisotropic layer of claim 1 , wherein the polymerizable rod-like liquid crystal compound is represented by a formula having at least one alkylene oxide groups containing three ethylene oxide units.

6. The optically anisotropic layer of claim 1 , wherein the group containing 6 or more carbon atoms selected from alkylene groups and alkylene oxide groups is a spacer group which connects the radical-polymerizable group and the mesogen group.

7. The optically anisotropic layer of claim 6 , wherein the spacer group is an alkylene oxide group containing three ethylene oxide units.

8. The optically anisotropic layer of claim 1 , wherein the mesogen group is a polymerized mesogen group, and the group containing 6 or more carbon atoms selected from alkylene groups and alkylene oxide groups is in the polymerized mesogen group.

9. The optically anisotropic layer of claim 8 , wherein the group containing 6 or more carbon atoms selected from alkylene groups and alkylene oxide groups is an alkylene group containing 6 to 12 carbon atoms.

10. The optically anisotropic layer of claim 8 , wherein the group containing 6 or more carbon atoms selected from alkylene groups and alkylene oxide groups is an alkylene oxide group containing three ethylene oxide units.

11. The optically anisotropic layer of claim 1 , wherein the polymerizable rod-like liquid crystal compound is a compound represented by the formula (I):

Q 1 -SP 1 —X 1 -M 1 -(Y 1 -L-Y 2 -M 2 ) n -X 2 —SP 2 -Q 2   Formula (I):

where,

n is an integer representing the number of repetition of (Y 1 -L-Y 2 -M 2 ) which is 0 or more, each of Q 1 and Q 2 represents a radical-polymerizable group,

each of SP 1 and SP 2 represents a straight-chain or branched alkylene group, or a group composed of a combination of straight-chain or branched alkylene, with at least either of —O— and —C(═O)—, having 2 to 12 carbon atoms in total;

each of X 1 and X 2 represents a single bond or oxygen atom;

—Y 1 -L-Y 2 — represents a straight-chain alkylene group, or, a group composed of a combination of straight-chain alkylene group with —O— and/or —C(═O)—, having 3 to 18 carbon atoms in total;

M 1 is a group represented by —Ar 1 —COO—Ar 2 —COO—Ar 3 —COO— or —Ar 1 —COO—Ar 2 —COO—Ar 3 — or —Ar 1 —COO—Ar 2 —Ar 3 —;

M 2 is a group represented by —Ar 3 —COO—Ar 2 —COO—Ar 1 —OCO— or —Ar 3 —COO—Ar 2 —COO—Ar 1 — or —Ar 3 —COO—Ar 2 —Ar 1 —; and

each of Ar 1 , Ar 2 and Ar 3 independently represents phenylene or biphenylene.

12. The optically anisotropic layer of claim 1 , wherein the polymerizable composition further contains 1% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less of a polymerizable rod-like compound represented by the formula (2):

Q 3 -SP 3 —X 3 -M 3 -(Y 3 -L-Y 4 -M 4 ) m -X 4 —SP 4 -Q 4   Formula (2):

where, m is an integer representing the number of repetition of (Y 3 -L-Y 4 -M 4 ) which is 0 or more,

each of Q 3 and Q 4 represents a radical-polymerizable group,

SP 3 and SP 4 represent a same group which is a straight-chain or branched alkylene group, or, a group composed of a combination of a straight-chain or branched alkylene group, with —O— and/or —C(═O)—, having 2 to 12 carbon atoms in total;

X 3 and X 4 represent a same group which is a single bond or oxygen atom;

—Y 3 -L-Y 4 — represents a straight-chain alkylene group, or, a group composed of a combination of straight-chain alkylene group with —O— and/or —C(═O)—, having 3 to 18 carbon atoms in total; and

each of M 3 and M 4 represents a group composed of two or more aromatic rings, and —O— and/or —C(═O)—.

13. The optically anisotropic layer of claim 12 , wherein each of SP 3 and SP 4 of the polymerizable rodlike compound represented by the formula (2) contains an alkylene oxide.

14. The optically anisotropic layer of claim 1 , wherein the direction of maximum refractive index of the optically anisotropic layer is inclined at 0° or larger and 3° or smaller to the surface of the optically anisotropic layer.

15. The optically anisotropic layer of claim 1 , which is a uniaxial birefringence layer having the slow axis in the in-plane direction.

16. The optically anisotropic layer of claim 1 , wherein the polymerizable composition contains a tilt angle control agent which is a copolymer of fluoroaliphatic group-containing monomers.

17. The optically anisotropic layer of claim 16 , wherein the tilt angle control agent is a copolymer of fluoroaliphatic group-containing monomers.

18. A laminate comprising the optically anisotropic layer of claim 1 .

19. A polarizing plate comprising the optically anisotropic layer of claim 1 .

20. A liquid crystal display device comprising the optically anisotropic layer of claim 1 .

21. An organic EL display device comprising the optically anisotropic layer of claim 1 .