Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.

Takashi Uematsu

Ryojiro Akashi

Masanobu Ninomiya

Takashi Morikawa

Akinori Komura

Jun Kawahara

Masato Mikami

Masahiro Moriyama

Hiroaki Tsutsui

Hidehiko Soyama

Shoichiro Fujiwara

Described is an optical element having plural electrodes and, disposed therebetween, a stimuli-responsive polymer gel, a liquid which can be absorbed therein and an ion supplying material. As the ion supplying material, preferred is a material showing a volumetric change, in the form of the element, of 0 to 100% under external stimuli. According to the present invention, a novel optical element showing a large change in light transmittance, reflectance or absorption amount and exhibits stable optical properties in repetition can be provided.

Optical element, optical element composition and method for controlling stimuli-responsive polymer gel

Provided is a sensor material including at least a stimulus-responsive high polymer gel, a bio-substance-responsive material and a light modulation material. A sensor having at least the sensor material and an optical waveguide is also provided. Furthermore, provided are a detection method for a bio-substance using the sensor material in which a change in tone is detected on the basis of swelling or shrinking of the stimulus-responsive high polymer gel, and a detection method for transmitting light using a sensor material in which transmitting light is detected on the basis of swelling or shrinking of the stimulus-responsive high polymer gel.

Sensor material, sensor and detection method for bio-substance

Disclosed are a composite material comprising a substrate having a three-dimensional structure which has, on substantially entire surface thereof, regions where a polymerizable unsaturated compound is graft-bonded and regions where the polymerizable unsaturated compound is not graft-bonded, a method for graft polymerization comprising the steps of reacting the surface of the substrate having a three-dimensional structure with droplets of a solution containing a graft polymerization initiator in a suspension or an emulsion comprising the solution containing a graft polymerization initiator and a solvent immiscible with the solution containing the graft polymerization initiator so as to form polymerization initiating regions on the surface of the substrate and thereafter graft-polymerizing a polymerizable unsaturated compound to the surface part where the polymerization initiating regions are formed, and a composite material comprising a substrate which has, on substantially entire surface thereof, regions where a polymerizable unsaturated compound is graft-bonded and regions where the polymerizable unsaturated compound is not graft-bonded.

Composite material and process for production thereof

Polymeric particles of a desired particle size improved with the dispersion state of a pigment contained in the high polymeric particles can be obtained by a production method, which includes solution-polymerizing monomers having polymerizable unsaturated bonds in the presence of ionic particles sulfonic group or carboxyl group on the surface thereof.

Polymeric particles and production method thereof

An optical material has a polymer gel whose volume is reversibly changed by absorbing or releasing a liquid in response to an external stimulus and a light scattering member covering at least a part of the surface of the polymer gel.

Optical material and optical device

A volume-modulation coloration producing material which is characterized by high contrast, high response and excellent durability; a composition including this material; an optical element and a method for optical modulation using the composition are disclosed. The volume-modulation coloration producing material includes a polymer gel capable of swelling-contracting by absorbing or desorbing a liquid when an external stimulus is given, and a pigment contained in the material at a concentration equal to or higher than a saturation absorption concentration. The volume-modulation coloration producing composition, which includes the volume-modulation coloration producing material and a liquid, exhibits a reversible volume change to swell or contract by the application of a stimulus such as, for example, heat, light, an electric current, an electric field, change in pH, change in ionic concentration, absorption or desorption of a substance and addition of a solvent. The pigment in the gel is in a diffused state (a) when the polymer gel is swollen while the pigment in the gel is in a flocculated state, (b) when the polymer gel is contracted so that the absorption efficiency of the light of the coloration producing material in a swollen state is higher than the absorption efficiency of the light of the coloration producing material in a contracted state.

Volume-modulation coloration producing material, volume-modulation coloration producing composition, and optical element and method for optical modulation using the composition

A color filter having a substrate, (a 1st and 2nd) stimulus responsive high molecular gel particles each having a different color formed on the substrate, and a liquid in contact with the (1st and 2nd) stimulus responsive high molecular gel particles and a display element having the color filter and a dimming element dimming an incident light into the color filter. By imparting a stimulus or stopping the impart of the stimulus to the stimulus responsive high molecular gel particles to cause the state change of the high molecular gel particles, whereby the light transmittance can be improved.

Color filter, display element, display method and display device

An optical element comprises a molded body of a composition of a cross-linked macromolecular liquid crystal and a resin. An optical element composed of a macromolecular liquid crystal composition where the granules of the cross-linked macromolecular liquid crystal are dispersed into the resin as a binder is preferable. The element can be made by preparing in advance granules of the cross-linked macromolecular crystal liquid by a physical or chemical crushing manner, dispersing the granules in the binder, and then molding it.

Optical element and method of manufacturing the same, and macromolecular

A reversible display medium capable of repeatedly exhibiting a transparent state and a light-scattering state by an action of at least one of heat, electric field, and magnetic field, the medium comprising a substrate having thereon a recording layer comprising a side-chain high molecular weight liquid crystal, which is a copolymer comprising at least a liquid-crystal monomer component and a non-liquid-crystal monomer component having a substituent capable of making a hydrogen bond.

Reversible display medium

A method for producing an optical element, the method comprising the steps of: forming a liquid crystal polymer layer on a sheet-form substrate; forming a surface protective layer on the liquid crystal polymer layer; and carrying out a heat-treatment for crosslinking the liquid crystal polymer, or the method comprising the steps of: forming a liquid crystal polymer layer on a sheet-form substrate; carrying out a first heat-treatment for controlling the multidomain structure of the liquid crystal polymer layer; forming a surface protective layer on the liquid crystal polymer layer; and carrying out a second heat-treatment for crosslinking the liquid crystal polymer layer.

Method for producing optical element

A data recording medium having a well-recognizable recording layer which reversibly changes in degree of light scattering when externally stimulated. One embodiment of the data recording medium of the present invention comprises (a) a visible data recording layer, the degree of light scattering of which reversibly changes when externally stimulated, (b) a transparent substrate layer, (c) a low refractive layer having a lower refractive index than the transparent substrate layer, (d) a colored substrate layer and (e) a magnetic recording layer, laminated in this order. Another embodiment of the data recording medium comprises (a) a visible data recording layer, (b) a first transparent substrate layer, (c) a low refractive layer, (d) a second transparent substrate layer and (e) a colored magnetic recording layer, laminated in this order. Still another embodiment of the data recording medium comprises (a) a visible data recording layer, (b) a light reflective layer, (c) a magnetic recording layer and (d) a substrate layer. In the data recording medium, the visible data recording layer preferably comprises a liquid crystal polymer. The recording layer may have a protective layer laminated thereon.

Data recording medium

An optical element comprising a polymer liquid crystal composition having an optically anisotropic multi-domain structure which is formed by crosslinking a composition containing a polymer liquid crystal. Since the multi-domain structure is stabilized by crosslinking, the element exhibits excellent reproducibility in restoring white turbidity.

Optical element and process for producing the same

An optical element which exhibits a great improvement in durability even after repeated use. The optical element comprising a substrate having thereon (a) a recording layer comprising a liquid crystal polymer composition and (b) a surface protective layer in this order, in which the protective layer comprises a plurality of layers laminated such that the hardness thereof increases from the layer adjacent to the recording layer toward the uppermost layer in order, or the protective layer comprises a plurality of layers laminated such that the glass transition point thereof becomes higher from the layer adjacent to the recording layer toward the uppermost layer in order. Furthermore, the layer adjacent to the recording layer preferably has a pencil hardness of HB or higher and the uppermost layer preferably has a pencil hardness of 3 H or higher.

Optical element

A reversible display medium comprising substrate 1 having thereon recording layer 2 containing a side chain type high polymeric liquid crystal capable of repeatedly and reversibly switching between a transparent state and a light-scattered state by the action of heat, an electrical field or a magnetic field, wherein said side chain type high polymeric liquid crystal is a copolymer comprising at least one liquid crystal monomer unit and at least one non-liquid crystal monomer unit having a hydrogen bond-forming substituent, e.g., a hydroxyl group, a carboxyl group, a sulfonic group or a phosphoric group. The display medium is excellent in durability on repeated use, heat sensitivity, display contrast, and record preservability.

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Minami-ashigara, Japan

Takashi Uematsu