Ferroelectric liquid crystal composition, liquid crystal optical device produced by using the ferroelectric liquid crystal composition, and method of producing the liquid crystal optical device

Claim 1

A liquid crystal optical device comprising two flexible substrates that are parallel to each other, have surfaces facing each other on which are disposed respective electrode layers, at least one of the electrode layers being a transparent electrode layer, and support a layer of a ferroelectric liquid crystal composition therebetween and in contact with the electrode layers; the layer of the ferroelectric liquid crystal composition which is disposed between the two substrates and in contact with the electrode layers of the substrates comprising from 40 to 97% by weight of (A) a ferroelectric liquid crystal material and from 3 to 60% by weight of (B) a non-liquid-crystalline polymeric material selected from the group consisting of a thermoplastic resin, a crosslinkable resin and a mixture thereof; the (A) ferroelectric liquid crystal material being uniaxially oriented by a bending treatment and comprising at least 3 mol % of at least one ferroelectric polymeric liquid crystal having a number average molecular weight of at least 1,000 and being selected from the group consisting of a polyacrylate-type ferroelectric polymeric liquid crystal having the repeating units represented by the following general formula: ##STR78## wherein k is an integer having a value of 1 to 30, R 1 is ##STR79## X is --COO-- or --OCO--, R 2 is --COOR 3 , --OCOR 3 , --OR 3 or --R 3 , wherein R 3 is ##STR80## wherein each of m and n is independently an integer having a value of 0 to 9, q is an integer having a value of 0 or 1, each of R 4 and R 5 is independently --CH 3 , a halogen atom or --CN, with the proviso that when R 5 is --CH 3 , n is not an integer having a value of 0, and that when q is 0 and R 4 is --CH 3 , n is not an integer having a value of 0, and C* represents an asymmetric carbon atom; a polyether-type ferroelectric polymeric liquid crystal having the repeating units represented by the following general formula: ##STR81## wherein k and R 1 are as defined above; a polysiloxane-type ferroelectric polymeric liquid crystal having the repeating units represented by the following general formula: ##STR82## wherein R 6 is a lower alkyl radical and k and R 1 are as defined above; and polyester-type ferroelectric polymeric liquid crystals having the repeating units represented by the following general formula: ##STR83## wherein R 7 is --H, --CH 3 or --C 2 H 5 , s is an integer having a value of 1 to 20, A is --O-- or --COO--, t is an integer having a value of 0 or 1, and R 1 and k are as defined above or ##STR84## wherein s, A, t, R 1 and k are as defined above.