Background art Liquid crystal displays are widespread used for clocks and watches, computers, flat screens for TV and technical applications, and large area information devices.

Liquid crystal displays should possess good visibility by viewing on it under different angles, specially flat angles deviating from the normal observation direction. The different kinds of displays using nematic liquid crystals, however, show limitations and shortcomings concerning the viewing angle characteristics.

In laid open Japanese patent applications Heisei 4-229828 and 4-258923, a method of improvement of viewing angles using a phase difference film which is placed between a liquid crystal cell and a polarizer, is proposed. However the improvement of the viewing angles is very small and is not suitable for car use.

In laid open Japanese patent applications Heisei 4-366808 and 4-366809, phase difference films comprising nematic liquid

crystal cells filled with chiral nematic liquid crystal mixtures, with tilted optic axis are proposed. However the weight of the displays constructed by this method is very large due to the doubled liquid crystal cells, and not suitable for applications.

In laid open Japanese patent applications Heisei 5-80323, phase difference films, made from polycarbonates, with tilted optic axis are proposed. However since the production of the film that the film is produced by cutting uniaxial polycarbonates in tilted angles, is very complicated and expensive.

In laid open Japanese patent applications Heisei 5-5823, phase difference films comprising light sensitive materials that the conformations can be changed by irradiation of light, are proposed. By this method very light and cheap liquid crystal displays with wide viewing angles can be realized. However the film is very chemically unstable against heat and light, and is not suitable for practical applications.

In EP 0 656 559 Al optical compensators comprising discotic nematic phases or monoaxial columnar phases, which are oriented in the liquid crystalline state are proposed. Since the phase transition temperatures (solid-discotic nematic transition temperatures) are very high, heating to temperatures above 200"C is necessary, which is inconvenient and may cause decomposition in the quite sensitive materials.

In DE OS 43 39 395 Al, DE OS 195 19 928 Al and GB 2 272 779 A improvements of this method are disclosed, comprising discotic nematic phases with negative optical birefringence, produced from

low molecular or polymer materials using a large variety of chemical structures. These phases have to be oriented in the liquid crystalline state, by aligning layers or electrical field or magnetic field, at markably elevated temperatures.

EP 0 676 652 A2 discloses a method for lowering the transition temperatures of the discotic nematic phases by at least 10"C, leaving the transition temperature to the discotic phase as high as 105'C or higher. Also this method for preparation of the optical compensators requires uncomfortable heating of the layers.

Disclosure of Invention We have found, that lyotropic mesomorphic phases consisting of sheet-like molecules and non-polar solvents, having negative optical birefringence, are well suited for the construction of optical compensators for liquid crystal displays.

These lyotropic mesomorphic phases can be formed by mixing molecules with sheet-like shape and non-polar solvents as e.g.

alkanes, squalane, decahydronaphthalene and other hydrocarbons, or by mixing of sheet-like charge-transfer complexes and non- polar solvents (e.g. alkanes, squalane, decahydronaphthalene and other hydrocarbons) . These phases can exist in the mesomorphic state at room temperature, heating in order to orient the compensating layers is not necessary. In some cases the compensating layers exist at room temperature in the glassy mesomorphic state; in these cases the orientation is possible above the glass transition temperature.

The present inventions have the following aspects.

(1) Lyotropic mesomorphic nematic or columnar media for the construction of optical compensators for liquid crystal displays, which comprises sheet-like molecules and non-polar solvents, and have negative optical birefringence.

(2) Lyotropic mesomorphic nemdtic or columnar media according to (1), wherein the sheet-like molecules are mixtures of sheet-like charge-transfer complexes made of sheet-like molecules as donator and sheet-like molecules as acceptor.

(3) Lyotropic mesomorphic media according to (1) or (2), wherein the media exists at room temperature in a glassy mesomorphic state.

(4) Lyotropic mesomorphic media according to (1), (2), or (3), wherein the sheet-like molecules are low molecular weight.

(5) Lyotropic mesomorphic media according to (1), (2), or (3), wherein the sheet-like molecules are polymers having sheet-like side groups.

(6). Lyotropic mesomorphic media according to (1), (2), or (3), wherein the sheet-like molecules are polymerizable monomers resulting in polymers with sheet-like units.

(7) Lyotropic mesomorphic media according to (1), (2), or (3), wherein the non-polar solvents are low molecular weight hydrocarbons.

(8) Lyotropic mesomorphic media according to (1), (2), or (3), wherein the non-polar solvents are selected from alkanes having 4-40 carbon atoms, in which a methylene moiety may be replaced by

O, S, C=O, COO or OCO.

(9) Lyotropic mesomorphic media according to (1), (2), or (3), wherein the non-polar solvents are selected from alkenes, alkadienes, alkatrienes and alkynes each having 4-40 carbon atoms, in which a methylene moiety may be replaced by O, S, C=O, COO or OCO.

(10) Lyotropic mesomorphic media according to (1), (2), or (3), wherein the non-polar solvents are polymerizable hydrocarbons.

(11) Lyotropic mesomorphic media according to (1), (2), or (3), wherein the non-polar solvents are polymeric hydrocarbons.

(12) Lyotropic mesomorphic media according to (1), (2), or (3), in which the non-polar solvents are nematic mixtures consisting of alkanes and methacrylate or photoresist materials.

(13) Optical compensating film made of the lyotropic mesomorphic media of (1) or (2), useful for the construction of optical compensators for liquid crystal devices.

(14) Optical compensating film made of the lyotropic mesomorphic media according to (1), (2), or (3), wherein the mesomorphic media is mechanically stabilized by polymeric networks made by polymerization of polymerizable hydrocarbons.

(15) Optical compensating film made of the lyotropic mesomorphic media according to (1), (2), or (3), wherein the mesomorphic media is stabilized by dispersion of the sheet-like molecules as droplets in polymers.

(16) Liquid crystal devices using the optical compensating film of (13)- (17) Lyotropic mesomorphic media according to (1) or (2), wherein the sheet-like molecules are selected from the group consisting of compounds having the formulae

wherein R is selected from the group consisting of alkyl or alkoxy groups having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, in which methylene moiety in the groups may be replaced by O, S, COO, OCO, CH=CH or C=C, and groups of the formula (2-1) to (2-13), in which R' represents alkyl, alkoxy, alkoxylalkyl, alkenyl, alkenyloxy, alkynyl, alkynyloxy or alkadienyl groups, or aromatic residues, L represents halogen, hydrogen, cyano group, hydroxy group or the groups of the formula (3-1), Z represents a single bond, CH=CH, CmCor CH2O, and m, n and p represent independently integral numbers.

L= - O-(CH2)p-COOH (3-1) The sheet-like molecules can be low molecular weight molecules, or polymers with sheet-like side groups, or polymerizable monomers resulting in polymers with sheet-like units.

The sheet-like molecules (1-1) - (1-46) listed above can preferably be used in this invention.

The hydrocarbons for the non-polar solvent can be low molecular-weight molecules or polymeric molecules, or preferably polymerizable low molecular weight molecules.

Any kind of hydrocarbons can be used for the solvents, provided that they are miscible with the sheet-like molecules or the charge transfer complexes. The hydrocarbons can be alkanes, alkenes, alkadienes, alkatrienes and alkynes having 4-40 carbon atoms, in which a methylene moiety in the hydrocarbons may be replaced by O, S, C=O, CO2 or OCO, preferably alkanes including decahydronaphthalene, alkenes including squalene, alkadienes, alkynes, acrylates, methacrylates, vinyl esters and allyl esters.

The hydrocarbons containing a double bond or a triple bond in their structures can be polymerized after constructing optical compensating films, and to give mechanically stable polymer network structures.

The lyotropic mesomorphic phases can have nematic structure, or columnar structure, and specially they may exist in the glassy mesomorphic state.

The lyotropic mesomorphic phases may be mechanically stabilized by polymer networks, or they can be stabilized by dispersion as droplets in polymers.

The optical compensators for liquid crystal displays comprise a transparent supporting layer, an aligning layer and an anisotropic layer, having lyotropic mesomorphic phases with negative optical birefringence.

As transparent supporting layer, any polymers having sufficient transparency can be used, e.g. acetylcelluloses, polysulfonates, polycarbonates, polyimides and other materials, which preferably should possess very low birefringence. By usual procedures the birefringence of such materials can be diminished.

Supporting layers should possess very low or no birefringence.

The aligning layer can be fixed directly on the transparent supporting layer, or an intermediate layer providing better adhesion (layers made from polar materials like gelatine, polyacrylate, different kind of copolymers) can be used. The aligning layer can be made by using known procedures of the state of the art, which are oblique evaporation of inorganic materials (ITO), or rubbed polyimide layers, or photopolymerized layers with polarized light.

The invention is explained at the hand of detailed examples.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention Example 1 The compound A : Octaheptyloxy-dibenzopyrene (DBP7)

was synthesized according to the instructions by S. Zamir, D. Singer, N. Spielberg, E. J. Wachtel, H. Zimmermann, R. Poupko, Z. Luz, Liq. Cryst. 21, 39-50 (1996).

This- compound exhibited a charge-transfer complex with 2,4,7-trinitro-9-fluorenone (TNF) . The complex was soluble in n- tridecane (n-Cl3H27). The equimolar mixture of DBP7 with TNF and 23.5 weight % n-Cl3H27 showed nematic phase from below room temperature to 60°C.

The amount of 1 g of this mixture was dissolved in 20 ml dichloromethane and spread on a surface, consisting of a layer of polycarbonate covered with unidirectionally rubbed polyimide.

After a few minutes the solvent was evaporated, and the nematic layer was obtained as a uniformly oriented film. The film had optically negative character, and the birefringence was about A£ = -0.01.

This film was used as a optical compensation film for improving the optical characteristics of an STN display. An STN display, made by the well known technology, was covered by the optical compensation film, and this arrangement was sandwitched by two polarizers. The visibility and optical contrast of the

display, seen from oblique angles, was improved remarkably.

Example 2 The compound B has been synthesized according to the instructions given by K. Praefcke, D. Singer, B. Gundogan Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst 223, 181 (1992) The following mixture was prepared: 45 weight % of compound B and 55 weight % of n-decane were mixed by continuous stirring for 15 minutes. 0.2 g of this mixture were dissolved in 5 ml of chloroform. A small amount of the solution was spread on the surface of an obliquely deposited ITO layer on a supporting glass. After some minutes the solvent was evaporated, the glass was heated to 50'C for 5 minutes, and an oriented nematic layer was formed. The nematic layer had negative optical anisotropy and can be used as an optical compensator for TN and STN LCD's, in order to improve the angular dependence of visibility and to enhance the contrast.

Example 3

An equimolar mixture of compound B and 2,4,7-trinitro-9- fluorenone was prepared by dissolving the respective amounts of materials in dichloromethane and evaporation of the solvent in vacuum. A charge-transfer complex was formed.

The amount of 1 g of a mixture consisting of 35 weight % of this charge transfer complex and 65 weight % of n-hexadecane have been dissolved in 20 ml of chloroform. A small amount of this solution was spread on the surface of an obliquely deposited ITO layer on a supporting glass. After some minutes the solvent was evaporated, the glass was heated to 65 C, and an oriented nematic layer was formed. The nematic layer has negative optical anisotropy and can be used as an optical compensator for TN and STN LCD's, in order to improve the angular dependence of visibility and to enhance the contrast.

Industrial Applicabilitv The lyotropic mesomorphic media of the present invention is well suited for the construction of optical compensators for liquid crystal displays used for clocks and watches, computers, flat screens for TV and technical applications, and large area information devices.