TW202014509A - Liquid crystal alignment agent, liquid crystal alignment film and liquid crystal element - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a liquid crystal alignment agent, a liquid crystal alignment film, and a liquid crystal element which do not readily swell the printing plate and have good printability. The liquid crystal alignment agent of the present invention comprises a polymeric content and at least one specific solvent selected from the group consisting of a solvent having a phosphorus atom, 3-methylcyclohexanone, 4-methylcyclohexanone.

Description

Liquid crystal alignment agent, liquid crystal alignment film and liquid crystal element

The invention relates to a liquid crystal alignment agent, a liquid crystal alignment film and a liquid crystal element.

Conventionally, liquid crystal devices have developed various driving methods with different electrode structures and physical properties of liquid crystal molecules used, for example, known as Twisted Nematic (TN) type or Super Twisted Nematic (STN) type, Vertical alignment (VA) type, coplanar switching type (IPS (In-Plane Switching) type), fringe field switching (FFS) type, optical compensation bending type (OCB (Optical Compensated Bend) type) Various liquid crystal elements. These liquid crystal elements have a liquid crystal alignment film for aligning liquid crystal molecules. In terms of good heat resistance, mechanical strength, and affinity with liquid crystals, various materials such as polyamic acid, polyimide, or the like are used as the material of the liquid crystal alignment film.

Regarding the liquid crystal alignment agent, a polymer component is dissolved in a solvent, and the liquid crystal alignment agent is applied to a substrate and heated, thereby forming a liquid crystal alignment film. Here, as the solvent of the liquid crystal alignment agent, an organic solvent having high polymer solubility is generally used, for example, an aprotic polar solvent such as N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone or γ-butyrolactone. In addition, in order to improve the applicability (printability) of the liquid crystal alignment agent when the liquid crystal alignment agent is applied to the substrate, an aprotic polar solvent and an organic solvent with a relatively low surface tension such as butyl cellosolve are used (for example, refer to the patent Document 1 or Patent Document 2).

As a method of applying the liquid crystal alignment agent to the substrate, various methods such as a spin coating method, an offset printing method, and an inkjet method are applied. For example, the offset printing method is generally performed using a transfer printing apparatus that applies a liquid crystal alignment agent to a printing plate containing a resin such as APR (registered trademark) and transfers the liquid crystal alignment agent to the printing plate using the printing plate On the substrate (for example, refer to Patent Document 3). [Prior Art Literature]

[Patent Literature] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-97188 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-156934 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-343649

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

The butyl cellosolve generally used for the purpose of improving the applicability of the liquid crystal alignment agent tends to swell the APR resin. Therefore, when a liquid crystal alignment agent containing a butyl cellosolve is applied to a substrate by offset printing, there is a concern that the printing plate may swell due to repeated application of the printing plate and the printability may be reduced. In addition, as the solvent component of the liquid crystal alignment agent, it is required that the polymer does not easily precipitate on the printer even when printing is performed continuously, and the printability (continuous printability) is good.

The present invention is made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and one of the objects is to provide a liquid crystal alignment agent that does not easily swell a printing plate and has good printability. [Means for solving the problem]

The inventors of the present invention carried out active research in order to achieve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and as a result, they found that the problems can be solved by using a specific organic solvent as a solvent, thereby completing the present invention. Specifically, the present invention provides the following liquid crystal alignment agent, liquid crystal alignment film, and liquid crystal element.

One aspect of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal alignment agent containing a polymer component and at least one specific solvent selected from the group consisting of 3-methylcyclohexanone and 4-methylcyclohexanone.

By using the specific solvent as the solvent component of the liquid crystal alignment agent, a liquid crystal alignment agent that is less likely to swell in the printing plate can be obtained. In addition, even in the case of continuous printing, the polymer is not likely to be deposited on the printer, and the printability can be improved.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal alignment film formed by the liquid crystal alignment agent. In addition, another aspect is to provide a liquid crystal element provided with a liquid crystal alignment film formed of the liquid crystal alignment agent.

Since the liquid crystal alignment film of the present invention is formed using a liquid crystal alignment agent containing the specific solvent, a uniform coating film can be formed with good film quality. In addition, when the liquid crystal element is manufactured using the liquid crystal alignment agent, printing defects can be reduced during the manufacturing process, and as a result, the yield of the product can be improved.

Hereinafter, each component contained in the liquid crystal aligning agent of this invention and other components arbitrarily mixed as needed are demonstrated.

<polymer component> The liquid crystal alignment agent of the present invention contains a polymer component. The main skeleton of the polymer is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include polyamic acid, polyamic acid ester, polyimide, polyorganosiloxane, polyester, polyamidoamine, and polybenzoxazole precursor. , Polybenzoxazole, cellulose derivatives, polyacetals, polystyrene derivatives, poly(styrene-phenyl maleimide) derivatives, poly(meth)acrylate and other main skeletons . In addition, (meth)acrylate refers to including acrylate and methacrylate.

In terms of the high effect of a specific solvent on the improvement of printability, among the polymers, the polymer component of the liquid crystal alignment agent is preferably selected from the group consisting of polyamic acid, polyamic acid ester, polyimide and At least one of the group consisting of polyorganosiloxanes. In addition, in the preparation of the liquid crystal alignment agent, one kind of polymer may be used alone, or two or more kinds may be used in combination.

[Polyamide] The polyamic acid in the present invention can be obtained, for example, by reacting tetracarboxylic dianhydride and diamine.

(Tetracarboxylic dianhydride) Examples of the tetracarboxylic dianhydride used in the synthesis of polyamic acid include aliphatic tetracarboxylic dianhydride, alicyclic tetracarboxylic dianhydride, and aromatic tetracarboxylic dianhydride. . As specific examples of these tetracarboxylic dianhydrides, for example, aliphatic tetracarboxylic dianhydrides include 1,2,3,4-butane tetracarboxylic dianhydride and the like; and alicyclic tetracarboxylic dianhydrides include, for example: 1,2,3,4-cyclobutane tetracarboxylic dianhydride, 1,3-dimethyl-1,2,3,4-cyclobutane tetracarboxylic dianhydride, 2,3,5-tricarboxyl Cyclopentylacetic acid dianhydride, 1,3,3a,4,5,9b-hexahydro-5-(tetrahydro-2,5-dioxo-3-furanyl)-naphtho[1,2-c ] Furan-1,3-dione, 1,3,3a,4,5,9b-hexahydro-8-methyl-5-(tetrahydro-2,5-dioxo-3-furanyl)- Naphtho[1,2-c]furan-1,3-dione, 3-oxabicyclo[3.2.1]octane-2,4-dione-6-spiro-3'-(tetrahydrofuran-2 ',5'-diketone), 5-(2,5-dioxytetrahydro-3-furanyl)-3-methyl-3-cyclohexene-1,2-dicarboxylic anhydride, 3,5 ,6-tricarboxy-2-carboxymethylnorbornane-2:3,5:6-dianhydride, bicyclo[3.3.0]octane-2,4,6,8-tetracarboxylic acid 2:4, 6:8-dianhydride, 4,9-dioxatricyclo[5.3.1.0 ^2,6 ]undecane-3,5,8,10-tetraone, cyclohexanetetracarboxylic dianhydride, etc.; aromatic Examples of the group tetracarboxylic dianhydride include pyromellitic dianhydride and the like; in addition, the tetracarboxylic dianhydride described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-97188 can be used. Moreover, tetracarboxylic dianhydride can be used individually by 1 type or in combination of 2 or more types.

The tetracarboxylic dianhydride used in the synthesis is better than the one that can improve the electrical properties and further improve the solubility of the polymer in a solvent containing a specific solvent and can further improve the printability. It is preferable to contain alicyclic tetracarboxylic dianhydride. In addition, the alicyclic tetracarboxylic dianhydride preferably contains 2,3,5-tricarboxycyclopentylacetic acid dianhydride, 1,3,3a,4,5,9b-hexahydro-5 -(Tetrahydro-2,5-dioxo-3-furanyl)-naphtho[1,2-c]furan-1,3-dione, 1,3,3a,4,5,9b-hexa Hydrogen-8-methyl-5-(tetrahydro-2,5-dioxo-3-furanyl)-naphtho[1,2-c]furan-1,3-dione, bicyclo[3.3.0 ]Octane-2,4,6,8-tetracarboxylic acid 2:4,6:8-dianhydride and 1,2,3,4-cyclobutane tetracarboxylic dianhydride at least in the group consisting of One, particularly preferably, is selected from 2,3,5-tricarboxycyclopentylacetic dianhydride, bicyclo[3.3.0]octane-2,4,6,8-tetracarboxylic acid 2:4,6: At least one of the group consisting of 8-dianhydride and 1,2,3,4-cyclobutanetetracarboxylic dianhydride.

Contains selected from 2,3,5-tricarboxycyclopentylacetic acid dianhydride, bicyclo[3.3.0]octane-2,4,6,8-tetracarboxylic acid 2:4,6:8-dianhydride and When at least one of the group consisting of 1,2,3,4-cyclobutane tetracarboxylic dianhydride is used as the tetracarboxylic dianhydride, it is relative to the tetracarboxylic acid used in the synthesis of polyamic acid For the total amount of dianhydride, the total content of these compounds is preferably 10 mol% or more, and more preferably 20 mol% to 100 mol%.

(Diamine) Examples of the diamine used in the synthesis of polyamic acid include aliphatic diamines, alicyclic diamines, aromatic diamines, and diamine-based organosiloxanes. As specific examples of these diamines, aliphatic diamines include, for example, m-xylylenediamine, 1,3-propanediamine, tetramethylenediamine, pentamethylenediamine, and hexamethylenediamine. , 1,3-bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane, etc.; alicyclic diamines include, for example, 1,4-diaminocyclohexane, 4,4'-methylenebis(cyclohexylamine) Wait;

（式（D-1）中，X^I 及X^II 分別獨立地為單鍵、-O-、*-COO-、*-OCO-或*-NH-CO-（其中，帶有“*”的結合鍵與二胺基苯基鍵結），R^I 及R^II 分別獨立地為碳數1～3的烷二基，a為0或1，b為0～2的整數，c為1～20的整數，n為0或1，m為0或1；其中，a及b不同時為0，在X^I 為*-NH-CO-的情況下，n為0） 所表示的化合物等； 二胺基有機矽氧烷例如可列舉1,3-雙(3-胺基丙基)-四甲基二矽氧烷等；除此以外，還可使用日本專利特開2010-97188號公報中記載的二胺。此外，這些二胺可單獨使用一種或組合使用兩種以上。Examples of aromatic diamines include p-phenylenediamine, 4,4'-diaminodiphenylmethane, 4,4'-diaminodiphenylsulfide, 1,5-diaminonaphthalene, and 2 ,2'-Dimethyl-4,4'-diaminobiphenyl, 2,2'-bis(trifluoromethyl)-4,4'-diaminobiphenyl, 4,4'-diamine Diphenyl ether, 1,3-bis(4-aminophenoxy)propane, 9,9-bis(4-aminophenyl) stilbene, 2,2-bis[4-(4-aminobenzene Oxy)phenyl]hexafluoropropane, 4,4'-(p-phenylene diisopropylidene)bisaniline, 1,4-bis(4-aminophenoxy)benzene, 2,6-di Aminopyridine, 3,6-diaminooxazole, N,N'-bis(4-aminophenyl)-benzidine, 1,4-bis-(4-aminophenyl)-piperazine, 1-(4-aminophenyl)-2,3-dihydro-1,3,3-trimethyl-1H-inden-5-amine, 1-(4-aminophenyl)-2,3 -Dihydro-1,3,3-trimethyl-1H-inden-6-amine, 3,5-diaminobenzoic acid, cholesteryloxy-3,5-diaminobenzene, cholesteric Alkenyloxy-3,5-diaminobenzene, cholesteryloxy-2,4-diaminobenzene, 3,5-diaminobenzoic acid cholesteryl ester, 3,5-di Aminobenzoic acid cholesteryl ester, 3,5-diaminobenzoic acid lanostyl alkyl ester, 3,6-bis(4-aminobenzyloxy)cholesterane, 4-(4 '-Trifluoromethoxybenzyloxy)cyclohexyl-3,5-diaminobenzoate, 1,1-bis(4-((aminophenyl)methyl)phenyl)- 4-heptylcyclohexane, 1,1-bis(4-((aminophenyl)methyl)phenyl)-4-(4-heptylcyclohexyl)cyclohexane, 2,4-diamine -N,N-diallylaniline, 4-aminobenzylamine, N-[4-(2-aminoethyl)phenyl]benzene-1,4-diamine, N-[4- (Aminomethyl)phenyl]benzene-1,4-diamine, diamine containing cinnamic acid structure and the following formula (D-1)

(In formula (D-1), X ^I and X ^II are independently a single bond, -O-, *-COO-, *-OCO- or *-NH-CO- (wherein, with "*" Bonding bond with diaminophenyl), R ^I and R ^II are independently C 1 to C 3 alkanediyl, a is 0 or 1, b is an integer of 0 to 2, c is 1 to 20 Integer of n, n is 0 or 1, m is 0 or 1; wherein, a and b are not 0 at the same time, when X ^I is *-NH-CO-, n is 0) the compound represented by etc.; Examples of the amino-organosiloxanes include 1,3-bis(3-aminopropyl)-tetramethyldisilaxane; in addition, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-97188 can be used. Of diamines. In addition, these diamines may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

Specific examples of the compound represented by the formula (D-1) include, for example, compounds represented by the following formula (D-1-1) to formula (D-1-4), respectively. [Chemical 3]

The diamine used for the synthesis of polyamic acid preferably contains an aromatic diamine of 30 mol% or more relative to the total diamine, more preferably contains 50 mol% or more, and particularly preferably contains More than 80 mol%.

(Synthesis of Polyamide) The polyamic acid can be obtained by reacting the tetracarboxylic dianhydride and the diamine as described above together with a molecular weight modifier if necessary. The use ratio of tetracarboxylic dianhydride and diamine provided for the synthesis reaction of polyamic acid is preferably 1 equivalent to the amine group of the diamine, and the acid anhydride group of the tetracarboxylic dianhydride becomes 0.2 to 2 equivalents. proportion. Examples of the molecular weight modifier include acid monoanhydrides such as maleic anhydride, phthalic anhydride, and itaconic anhydride; monoamine compounds such as aniline, cyclohexylamine, and n-butylamine; phenyl isocyanate and isocyanic acid Monoisocyanate compounds such as naphthyl ester and the like. The use ratio of the molecular weight modifier is preferably 20 parts by weight or less relative to 100 parts by weight of the total amount of tetracarboxylic dianhydride and diamine used.

The synthesis reaction of polyamic acid is preferably carried out in an organic solvent. The reaction temperature at this time is preferably -20°C to 150°C, and the reaction time is preferably 0.1 hour to 24 hours. Examples of the organic solvent used in the reaction include aprotic polar solvents, phenolic solvents, alcohols, ketones, esters, ethers, halogenated hydrocarbons, and hydrocarbons. Particularly preferred organic solvents are preferably selected from N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, N,N-dimethylacetamide, N,N-dimethylformamide, dimethylsulfoxide, γ -One or more of the group consisting of butyrolactone, tetramethylurea, hexamethylphosphoryltriamine, m-cresol, xylenol, halogenated phenol, and specific solvents shown below are used as solvents, or these A mixture of more than one solvent and other organic solvents (such as butyl cellosolve, diethylene glycol diethyl ether, etc.). The amount of use of the organic solvent (a) is preferably the total amount of tetracarboxylic dianhydride and diamine (b) relative to the total amount of the reaction solution (a+b) to be 0.1% to 50% by weight the amount. The reaction solution obtained by dissolving the polyamic acid was obtained as described above. The reaction solution may be directly provided to the preparation of the liquid crystal alignment agent, or the polyamic acid contained in the reaction solution may be separated and then provided to the preparation of the liquid crystal alignment agent.

[Polyimide] The polyimide in the present invention can be obtained by, for example, dehydrating and ring-closing the polyamide synthesized in the above-described manner, and then imidizing. The polyimide may be a complete imide compound obtained by dehydrating and ring-closing all the amidic acid structures of the polyamic acid as a precursor thereof, or may be dehydrating and ring-closing only a part of the amidic acid structure. A part of the imidate compound that coexists with the imidate structure and the imidate ring structure. The polyimide in the present invention preferably has an imidization rate of 30% or more, more preferably 40% to 99%, and still more preferably 50% to 99%. The amidation rate is the sum of the number of amidic acid structures of the polyimide and the number of amidimide ring structures, and the ratio of the number of amidimide ring structures is expressed as a percentage. Here, a part of the imidate ring may be an imidate ring.

The dehydration and ring closure of the polyamic acid is preferably carried out by the following method: a method of heating the polyamic acid; or dissolving the polyamic acid in an organic solvent, adding a dehydrating agent and dehydration ring closure to the solution The catalyst is optionally heated. Among them, the latter method is preferred. In the method of adding a dehydrating agent and a dehydration ring-closing catalyst to a solution of polyamic acid, for example, an anhydride such as acetic anhydride, propionic anhydride, or trifluoroacetic anhydride can be used as the dehydrating agent. The use amount of the dehydrating agent is preferably 0.01 mol to 20 mol relative to 1 mol of the amide structure of the polyamic acid. As the dehydration ring-closure catalyst, for example, tertiary amines such as pyridine, tripicoline, lutidine, and triethylamine can be used. The use amount of the dehydration ring-closing catalyst is preferably 0.01 mol to 10 mol relative to 1 mol of the dehydrating agent used. Examples of the organic solvent used in the dehydration ring-closure reaction include the organic solvents exemplified as the organic solvent used in the synthesis of polyamide. The reaction temperature of the dehydration ring-closure reaction is preferably 0°C to 180°C, and the reaction time is preferably 1.0 hour to 120 hours.

In this way, a reaction solution containing polyimide was obtained. The reaction solution can be directly provided to the preparation of the liquid crystal alignment agent, or can be provided to the preparation of the liquid crystal alignment agent after the dehydrating agent and the dehydration ring-closing catalyst are removed from the reaction solution, or the polyimide can be separated and then provided to the liquid crystal Preparation of alignment agent. These purification operations can be carried out according to known methods. In addition to this, polyimide can also be obtained by the imidization of polyamic acid ester.

[Polyamide] The polyamic acid ester in the present invention can be obtained by, for example, the following method: [I] Polyamide acid obtained by the synthesis reaction and an esterifying agent (such as methanol or ethanol, N,N-dimethyl) Carboxymethylamine diethyl acetal, etc.); [II] Tetracarboxylic acid diester and diamine in an organic solvent, in an appropriate dehydration catalyst (such as 4-(4,6-dimethoxy -1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)-4-methylmorpholinium halide, phosphorus-based condensing agent, etc.) method of reaction; [III] Tetracarboxylic acid diester diester A method of reacting a halide with a diamine in an organic solvent in the presence of a suitable base (for example, pyridine, triethylamine, sodium hydroxide, etc.). The polyamic acid ester contained in the liquid crystal alignment agent may have only the amide acid ester structure, or may be a partial esterified product in which the amide acid structure and the amide acid ester structure coexist. In addition, the reaction solution obtained by dissolving the polyamic acid ester may be directly provided to the preparation of the liquid crystal alignment agent, or the polyamic acid ester contained in the reaction solution may be separated and then provided to the preparation of the liquid crystal alignment agent.

The polyamic acid, polyamic acid ester and polyimide obtained in the above-mentioned manner preferably have a solution viscosity of 10 mPa·s to 800 mPa·s when they are made into a solution with a concentration of 10% by weight In particular, those having a solution viscosity of 15 mPa·s to 500 mPa·s are more preferred. In addition, the solution viscosity (mPa·s) of the polymer is a good solvent (for example, γ-butyrolactone, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone) using the E-type rotary viscometer at 25°C. Etc.) to the value obtained by measuring the prepared polymer solution with a concentration of 10% by weight. The polyacrylic acid, polyamic acid ester, and polyimide contained in the liquid crystal aligning agent of this invention are the polystyrene conversion weight measured by Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) The average molecular weight is preferably 500 to 100,000, and more preferably 1,000 to 50,000.

[Polyorganosiloxane] The polyorganosiloxane in the present invention can be obtained, for example, by hydrolyzing a hydrolyzable silane compound in the presence of a suitable organic solvent, water, and a catalyst, or by hydrolysis or condensation.

Examples of the hydrolyzable silane compound used in the synthesis of polyorganosiloxane include tetramethoxysilane, tetraethoxysilane, methyltrimethoxysilane, methyltriethoxysilane, and phenyltrimethyl Alkoxysilane compounds such as oxysilane, phenyltriethoxysilane, trimethoxysilylpropyl succinic anhydride, dimethyldimethoxysilane, dimethyldiethoxysilane, etc.; 3-mercaptopropane Trimethoxysilane, 3-mercaptopropyltriethoxysilane, mercaptomethyltrimethoxysilane, mercaptomethyltriethoxysilane, 3-ureidopropyltrimethoxysilane, 3-aminopropyl Nitrogen and sulfur-containing alkoxysilane compounds such as trimethoxysilane, 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, N-(3-cyclohexylamino)propyltrimethoxysilane; 3-glycidol Oxypropyltrimethoxysilane, 3-glycidoxypropyltriethoxysilane, 3-glycidoxypropylmethyldimethoxysilane, 2-(3,4-epoxycyclohexyl )Ethyl triethoxy silane, 2-(3,4-epoxycyclohexyl) ethyl trimethoxy silane and other epoxy-containing silane compounds; 3-(meth)acryl propyl propyl trimethoxy Silane, 3-(meth)acryloxypropylmethyldimethoxysilane, 3-(meth)acryloxypropylmethyldiethoxysilane, vinyltrimethoxysilane, For styrene trimethoxy silane and other unsaturated bond-containing alkoxy silane compounds. The hydrolyzable silane compound may be used alone or in combination of two or more. In addition, "(meth)acryloyloxy" means "acryloyloxy" and "methacryloyloxy".

The hydrolysis/condensation reaction is carried out by reacting one or more of the silane compounds as described above with water, preferably in the presence of a suitable catalyst and an organic solvent. During the reaction, the ratio of water used is preferably 1 mol to 30 mol relative to 1 mol of the silane compound (total amount). Examples of the catalyst used include acids, alkali metal compounds, organic bases (for example, triethylamine or tetramethylammonium hydroxide, etc.), titanium compounds, and zirconium compounds. The amount of catalyst used varies depending on the type of catalyst, reaction conditions such as temperature, etc., and should be appropriately set. For example, it is preferably 0.01 times to 3 times the molar amount relative to the total amount of silane compounds. Examples of the organic solvent used include hydrocarbons, ketones, esters, ethers, and alcohols. Among these organic solvents, it is preferable to use an insoluble or poorly water-soluble organic solvent. The use ratio of the organic solvent is preferably 50 parts by weight to 1,000 parts by weight with respect to the total 100 parts by weight of the silane compound used in the reaction.

The hydrolysis and condensation reaction is preferably carried out by heating with an oil bath or the like, for example. At this time, the heating temperature is preferably set to 130° C. or lower, and the heating time is preferably set to 0.5 to 12 hours. After the reaction is completed, polyorganosiloxane can be obtained by removing the solvent from the organic solvent layer separated from the reaction solution.

When applied to a liquid crystal alignment agent for TN type, STN type, or vertical alignment type liquid crystal display elements, a liquid crystal alignment group or a group having a photo-alignment structure can be introduced into the side chain of polyorganosiloxane base. The method of synthesizing the polyorganosiloxane having these specific groups in the side chain is not particularly limited, and examples include the following methods: for epoxy-containing silane compounds, or epoxy-containing silane compounds and other silane compounds The mixture is hydrolyzed and condensed to synthesize an epoxy group-containing polyorganosiloxane, and then a method of reacting the obtained epoxy group-containing polyorganosiloxane with a carboxylic acid having the specific group. The reaction of the epoxy group-containing polyorganosiloxane and carboxylic acid can be carried out according to a known method.

The weight average molecular weight (Mw) of polyorganosiloxane in terms of polystyrene measured by GPC is preferably in the range of 500 to 100,000, more preferably in the range of 1,000 to 30,000, and further preferably 1,000～20,000. If the weight average molecular weight of the polyorganosiloxane is within the above range, it is easy to handle when manufacturing a liquid crystal alignment film, and the obtained liquid crystal alignment film has sufficient material strength and characteristics.

In the liquid crystal alignment agent of the present invention, the total amount of the polymer components in the liquid crystal alignment agent is selected from the group consisting of polyamic acid, polyamic acid ester, polyimide, and polyorganosiloxane The content ratio of the polymer in (total amount when two or more kinds are contained) is preferably 50% by weight or more, and more preferably 60% by weight or more. In addition, from the viewpoint of more preferably obtaining the effects of the present invention, the polymer component preferably includes at least one selected from the group consisting of polyamic acid, polyamic acid ester, and polyimide One kind. The total content ratio of the polyamic acid, the polyamic acid ester, and the polyimide in the liquid crystal alignment agent is preferably 40% by weight or more, more preferably with respect to the total amount of the polymer components in the liquid crystal alignment agent Is more than 60% by weight.

<Solvent> The liquid crystal alignment agent of the present invention is a liquid composition obtained by dispersing or dissolving a polymer component in a solvent. The liquid crystal alignment agent contains a solvent selected from the group consisting of phosphorus atoms (hereinafter also referred to as "phosphorus-containing solvents"), N,N-dimethyl propyl urea, tetrahydro-4H-pyran-4-one, tetra Methylene sulfoxide, 3-methylcyclohexanone, 4-methylcyclohexanone, the compound represented by the formula (1), the compound represented by the formula (2), the formula (3) At least one specific solvent in the group consisting of the represented compound and the compound represented by the formula (10) is used as a solvent.

（式（p-1）～式（p-4）中，X¹ 及Y¹ 分別獨立地為氧原子或硫原子；R¹ 為氫原子或碳數1～10的一價的烴基，R² 為氫原子或一價的有機基；其中，R¹ 與R² 可相互鍵結而形成環；R³ 分別獨立地為氫原子或碳數1～6的烷基，鍵結於氮原子的兩個R³ 可相互鍵結而與氮原子一起形成一價的含氮雜環基；其中，R¹ 及R² 不同時為氫原子，R² 及R³ 不同時為氫原子；m、n、k及j分別獨立地為1～3的整數；在m、n、k、j為2或3的情況下，式中的多個R¹ 、R³ 彼此可相同也可不同，在m、n、k、j為1的情況下，式中的多個R² 彼此可相同也可不同）[Phosphorus-containing solvent] The phosphorus-containing solvent is not particularly limited as long as it has at least one phosphorus atom in the molecule, and it is preferably selected from the following formulas (P-1) to (P-4) At least one of the group consisting of compounds. [Chemical 4]

(In formula (p-1) to formula (p-4), X ¹ and Y ¹ are each independently an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom; R ¹ is a hydrogen atom or a monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, R ² It is a hydrogen atom or a monovalent organic group; where R ¹ and R ² can be bonded to each other to form a ring; R ^{3 is} independently a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and is bonded to two of the nitrogen atom R ³ can be bonded to each other to form a monovalent nitrogen-containing heterocyclic group with a nitrogen atom; wherein, R ¹ and R ^{2 are} not simultaneously hydrogen atoms, R ² and R ^{3 are} not simultaneously hydrogen atoms; m, n, k and j are independently integers of 1 to 3; when m, n, k, and j are 2 or 3, a plurality of R ¹ and R ³ in the formula may be the same as or different from each other, in m, n , When k and j are 1, multiple R ² in the formula may be the same or different)

Here, in this specification, the "hydrocarbon group" means a chain hydrocarbon group, an alicyclic hydrocarbon group, and an aromatic hydrocarbon group. The "chain hydrocarbon group" refers to a linear hydrocarbon group and a branched hydrocarbon group that do not include a cyclic structure in the main chain but are only composed of a chain structure. Among them, it may be saturated or unsaturated. The "alicyclic hydrocarbon group" refers to a hydrocarbon group containing only an alicyclic hydrocarbon as a ring structure, but not containing an aromatic ring structure. Among them, it is not necessary to be composed only of the structure of the alicyclic hydrocarbon, and a hydrocarbon group having a chain-like structure in a part thereof is also included. The "aromatic hydrocarbon group" refers to a hydrocarbon group containing an aromatic ring structure as a ring structure. Among them, it is not necessary to be composed only of an aromatic ring structure, and a structure of a chain structure or an alicyclic hydrocarbon may be included in a part thereof. In addition, in this specification, the "organic group" refers to a group containing a carbon atom, and a hetero atom may be included in the structure.

In the formula (p-1), the monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms of R ¹ includes, for example, methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl, heptyl, octyl, Linear or branched alkyl groups such as nonyl and decyl; alkenyl groups such as vinyl and allyl; alkynyl groups such as ethynyl; cycloalkyl groups such as cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl and methylcyclohexyl; phenyl , Tolyl, xylyl and other aryl groups; benzyl, phenethyl, styryl and other aralkyl groups. Among the above groups, R ^{1 is} preferably a C 1-3 alkyl group.

Examples of the monovalent organic group of R ² include a monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, a group containing a heteroatom-containing group between the carbon-carbon bonds of the hydrocarbon group, the hydrocarbon group and the heteroatom-containing group A group in which a group is bonded, a group in which at least one hydrogen atom of these groups is substituted with a substituent, a cyano group, a methylene group, and the like. Here, the heteroatom-containing group refers to a bivalent or higher group having a heteroatom, and examples include: -O-, -CO-, -COO-, and -CONR ^a- (R ^a is a hydrogen atom or a carbon Alkyl groups of 1 to 6, the same below), -NR ^a -, trivalent nitrogen atom, -NR ^a CONR ^a -, -OCONR ^a -, -S-, -COS-, -OCOO-, -SO ₂ -Wait. Examples of the substituent include halogen atoms, nitro groups, cyano groups, and hydroxyl groups. Among the above groups, R ^{2 is} preferably a C 1-6 alkyl group or a C 6 or 7 aryl group.

The alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms in R ³ may be linear or branched. Examples of the monovalent nitrogen-containing heterocyclic group formed by bonding two R ^{3 to} each other include a group obtained by removing a hydrogen atom bonded to a nitrogen atom included in the nitrogen-containing heterocycle. Specific examples of the nitrogen-containing heterocyclic ring include a pyridine ring and a pyridine ring, and these ring portions may have substituents such as a halogen atom and an alkyl group. R ^{3 is} preferably a C 1-3 alkyl group, more preferably a methyl group. X ¹ and Y ^{1 are} preferably oxygen atoms. m, n, k and j are preferably 2 or 3, more preferably 3.

In terms of a higher printability improvement effect, in the formula (p-1) to the formula (p-4), the phosphorus-containing solvent is preferably selected from those represented by the formula (p-1) At least one of the group consisting of the compound and the compound represented by the formula (p-3), more preferably the compound represented by the formula (p-1).

Preferable specific examples of the phosphorus-containing solvent include the following formula (p-1-1) to formula (p-1-7), formula (p-3-1) and formula (p-3-2), respectively. Represented compounds etc. [Chem 5]

In terms of better printability, among the compounds, the phosphorus-containing solvents are particularly preferably the formula (p-1-1) to formula (p-1-4) and formula (p-3-1) Respectively represented compounds. In addition, the phosphorus-containing solvent may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[Compound represented by the formula (1)] In the formula (1), the alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms of R ⁴ may be exemplified by methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, etc. These alkyl groups It may be linear or branched. Specific examples of the compound represented by the formula (1) include, for example, 4-methyl acetyl morpholine, 4-ethyl acetyl morpholine, and the like, and particularly preferred is 4-methyl acetyl morpholine. In addition, the compound represented by the formula (1) may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[The formula (2) compound represented] of the formula (2), R 6 carbon atoms, an alkyl group having 1 to ⁵ illustrate the application may be described by the formula (1) R ⁴ is. Examples of the C 2 to C 4 alkanediyl groups of R ⁶ include ethylidene, propanediyl, and butanediyl groups, and these alkanediyl groups may be linear or branched. Specific examples of the compound represented by the formula (2) include, for example, 3-methyl-2-oxazolidinone, 3-ethyl-2-oxazolidinone, 3-isopropyl-2-oxo Oxazolidone, N-methyl-2-oxazinanone (oxazinanone), etc., of which 3-methyl-2-oxazolidone is particularly preferred. In addition, the compound represented by the formula (2) may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[Compound represented by the formula (3)] In the formula (3), examples of the monovalent organic group of R ⁷ to R ¹⁰ include an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, A group containing a heteroatom-containing group between carbon-carbon bonds, a group in which the alkyl group is bonded to a heteroatom-containing group, a group in which at least one hydrogen atom of these groups is substituted with a substituent, and the like. For specific examples of the heteroatom-containing group and the substituent, the description of R ² in the above formula (p-1) can be applied. In addition, R ⁷ to R ¹⁰ may be the same as or different from each other. R ⁷ to R ^{10 are} preferably a hydrogen atom, a C 1-5 alkyl group or -COR ^b (R ^b is a hydrogen atom or a C 1-3 alkyl group). One of R ⁷ and R ¹⁰ is preferably -COR ^b .

Specific examples of the compound represented by the formula (3) include 2-furan formaldehyde, 3-furan formaldehyde, 5-methyl-2-furan formaldehyde, 5-methyl-3-furan formaldehyde, 4-methyl -2-furan formaldehyde, 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furan formaldehyde, etc., especially 5-methyl-2-furan formaldehyde. In addition, the compound represented by the formula (3) may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[Compound represented by the formula (10)] In the formula (10), examples of the alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms of R ¹¹ to R ¹³ include methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, and isopropyl groups. , Of which methyl is preferred. Specific examples of the compound represented by the formula (10) include lactamide, N,N-dimethyl lactamide, N,N-diethyl lactamide, and N-methyl-N-propylene. Base lactamide, N-ethyl lactamide, N-isopropyl lactamide, etc., among which N,N-dimethyl lactamide is particularly preferred. In addition, the compound represented by the formula (10) may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

In terms of better printability (especially continuous printability), the compound is preferably selected from the group consisting of a phosphorus-containing solvent, N,N-dimethylpropyleneurea, and the At least one of the group consisting of the compound represented by formula (1) and the compound represented by formula (2). In addition, the specific solvent may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[Other solvents] The liquid crystal alignment agent of the present invention may contain a solvent other than a specific solvent (hereinafter, also referred to as "other solvents"). Specific examples of other solvents include N-ethyl-2-pyrrolidone, N-(n-propyl)-2-pyrrolidone, N-isopropyl-2-pyrrolidone, and N-(n-butyl)-2- Pyrrolidone, N-(third butyl)-2-pyrrolidone, N-(n-pentyl)-2-pyrrolidone, N-methoxypropyl-2-pyrrolidone, N-ethoxyethyl-2-pyrrolidone , N-methoxybutyl-2-pyrrolidone, 3-butoxy-N,N-dimethylpropane amide, 3-methoxy-N,N-dimethylpropane amide, 3-hexyl Oxy-N,N-dimethylpropaneamide, isopropoxy-N-isopropyl-propionamide, n-butoxy-N-isopropyl-propionamide, 1,3-dimethyl 2-imidazolidinone, N,N'-dimethyl propyl urea, tetramethyl urea, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, γ-butyrolactone, δ-valerolactone, γ-pentane Lactone, γ-caprolactone, N,N-diethylacetamide, γ-butyrolactam, N,N-dimethylformamide, N,N-dimethylacetamide, ethyl Glycol monomethyl ether, butyl lactate, butyl acetate, methyl methoxypropionate, ethyl ethoxypropionate, ethylene glycol methyl ether, ethylene glycol ether, ethylene glycol-n-propyl ether, ethyl ether Glycol-isopropyl ether, ethylene glycol-n-butyl ether (butyl cellosolve), ethylene glycol dimethyl ether, ethylene glycol ethyl ether acetate, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, Diethylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate, dipropylene glycol monomethyl ether (DPM), diisobutyl ketone, isoamyl propionate, isobutyric acid Isoamyl ester, ethyl carbonate, propyl carbonate, etc. In addition, other solvents may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

Regarding the specific solvent, all of the solvents contained in the liquid crystal alignment agent may be used as the specific solvent, or part of them may be used as the specific solvent. With respect to the total amount of the solvent contained in the liquid crystal alignment agent, the content ratio of the specific solvent (the total amount when two or more kinds are used, the same below) is preferably 1% by weight to 80% by weight, more It is preferably 5% to 70% by weight, further preferably 10% to 60% by weight, and particularly preferably 20% to 60% by weight.

<Other ingredients> The liquid crystal alignment agent of the present invention contains the polymer component and the solvent as described above, and may contain other components as necessary. Examples of the other components include compounds having at least one epoxy group in the molecule, functional silane compounds, photopolymerizable compounds, surfactants, fillers, defoamers, sensitizers, dispersants, and antioxidants , Adhesion aid, antistatic agent, leveling agent, antibacterial agent, etc. The blending ratio of these components can be appropriately set according to the compound to be blended, as long as the effect of the present invention is not hindered.

The solid content concentration in the liquid crystal alignment agent of the present invention (the proportion of the total weight of the components other than the solvent of the liquid crystal alignment agent in the total weight of the liquid crystal alignment agent) is appropriately selected in consideration of viscosity, volatility, etc., and is preferably Is in the range of 1% by weight to 10% by weight. That is, the liquid crystal alignment agent of the present invention is applied to the surface of the substrate in a manner described later, and is preferably heated to form a coating film that is a liquid crystal alignment film or a coating film that becomes a liquid crystal alignment film, but at this time, When the solid content concentration is less than 1% by weight, the film thickness of the coating film becomes too small, making it difficult to obtain a good liquid crystal alignment film. On the other hand, when the solid content concentration exceeds 10% by weight, the film thickness of the coating film becomes too large, making it difficult to obtain a good liquid crystal alignment film, and there is an increase in the viscosity of the liquid crystal alignment agent, which lowers the coating characteristics tendency.

The range of particularly good solid content concentration differs depending on the method used when the liquid crystal alignment agent is applied on the substrate. For example, when the spin coating method is used, it is particularly preferable that the solid content concentration is in the range of 1.5% by weight to 4.5% by weight. In the case of using the offset printing method, it is particularly preferable to set the solid content concentration to the range of 3% by weight to 9% by weight, and thus to set the solution viscosity to the range of 12 mPa·s to 50 mPa·s. In the case of using the inkjet method, it is particularly preferable to set the solid content concentration to the range of 1% by weight to 5% by weight, and thus to set the solution viscosity to the range of 3 mPa·s to 15 mPa·s. The temperature when preparing the liquid crystal alignment agent is preferably 10°C to 50°C, and more preferably 20°C to 30°C.

<Liquid crystal alignment film and liquid crystal element> The liquid crystal alignment film of the present invention is formed of the liquid crystal alignment agent prepared in the above manner. In addition, the liquid crystal element of the present invention includes a liquid crystal alignment film formed using the liquid crystal alignment agent. The driving mode of the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal element is not particularly limited, and can be applied to TN type, STN type, IPS type, FFS type, VA type, multi-domain vertical alignment (MVA) type, polymer stable alignment (Polymer sustained alignment, PSA) and other driving modes. The liquid crystal element of the present invention can be manufactured by a method including the following steps 1 to 3, for example. Regarding step 1, the substrate used differs according to the desired driving mode. Steps 2 and 3 are common to all drive modes.

[Step 1: Formation of coating film] First, the liquid crystal alignment agent of the present invention is coated on a substrate, and then the coating surface is heated, thereby forming a coating film on the substrate. (1-1) When manufacturing TN type, STN type, VA type, MVA type or PSA type liquid crystal element, two substrates provided with a patterned transparent conductive film are set as a pair. On the formation surface of the transparent conductive film in the substrate, the liquid crystal alignment agent is preferably applied by offset printing method, spin coating method, roll coating method, or inkjet printing method, respectively. For the substrate, for example, glass such as float glass and soda glass; including polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyether ash, polycarbonate, and poly(alicyclic) Olefin) and other plastic transparent substrates. For the transparent conductive film provided on one surface of the substrate, a NESA film (registered trademark of PPG Corporation of the United States) containing tin oxide (SnO ₂ ), or indium oxide-tin oxide (IN ₂ O ₃ -SnO) ₂ ) Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) film, etc.

After applying the liquid crystal alignment agent, for the purpose of preventing dripping of the applied alignment agent, etc., it is preferable to perform preliminary heating (pre-baking). The pre-baking temperature is preferably 30°C to 200°C, and the pre-baking time is preferably 0.25 minutes to 10 minutes. Thereafter, for the purpose of completely removing the solvent, and if necessary for the purpose of thermally imidizing the amide acid structure present in the polymer, a sintering (post-baking) step is performed. The burning temperature (post-baking temperature) at this time is preferably 80°C to 300°C, and the post-baking time is preferably 5 minutes to 200 minutes. The film thickness of the film formed in this manner is preferably 0.001 μm to 1 μm, and more preferably 0.005 μm to 0.5 μm.

(1-2) In the case of manufacturing an IPS-type or FFS-type liquid crystal display element, the electrode forming surface of the substrate provided with the electrode including the transparent conductive film or metal film patterned in the comb-teeth type is not provided with One surface of the counter substrate with electrodes is coated with a liquid crystal alignment agent, and then each coated surface is heated to form a coating film. The material of the substrate and the transparent conductive film used at this time, the coating method, the heating conditions after coating, the film thickness, and the like are the same as in (1-1) above. For the metal film, for example, a film containing metal such as chromium can be used. In any of the above (1-1) and (1-2), the liquid crystal alignment film is formed or a coating film that becomes the liquid crystal alignment film is formed by applying a liquid crystal alignment agent on the substrate and then removing the organic solvent .

[Step 2: Alignment capability grant processing] In the case of manufacturing a TN-type, STN-type, IPS-type, or FFS-type liquid crystal display element, a process of imparting liquid crystal alignment capability to the coating film formed in the above step 1 is performed. Thus, the alignment ability of the liquid crystal molecules is given to the coating film to become a liquid crystal alignment film. Examples of the alignment ability-imparting treatment include rubbing treatment of the coating film by wiping the coating film in a certain direction with a roll wound with a cloth containing fibers such as nylon, rayon, cotton, etc., and optical alignment of irradiating the coating film with polarized or unpolarized radiation Processing etc. On the other hand, in the case of manufacturing a VA-type liquid crystal display element, the coating film formed in the above step 1 may be used directly as a liquid crystal alignment film, or an alignment ability-imparting treatment may be applied to the film. The liquid crystal alignment film preferable for the VA type liquid crystal display element can also be preferably used for a PSA (Polymer Sustained Alignment) type liquid crystal display element.

[Step 3: Construction of liquid crystal cell] Two substrates in which the liquid crystal alignment film is formed in the above manner are prepared, and liquid crystal is arranged between the two substrates arranged opposite to each other, thereby manufacturing a liquid crystal cell. In order to manufacture a liquid crystal cell, for example: (1) The two substrates are opposed to each other with a gap in a manner in which the liquid crystal alignment film is opposed, and the peripheral portions of the two substrates are bonded together using a sealant. The method of sealing the injection hole after filling the liquid crystal into the cell gap divided by the sealant; (2) Applying the sealant to a predetermined position on one of the substrates on which the liquid crystal alignment film is formed, and then on the liquid crystal alignment film surface After dropping liquid crystals at a predetermined number of places, the liquid crystal alignment film is opposed to another substrate, and the liquid crystal is spread on the entire surface of the substrate (liquid crystal drop (ODF) method) Wait. It is desirable for the manufactured liquid crystal cell to be further heated until the temperature of the liquid crystal used acquires the isotropic phase, and then slowly cooled to room temperature, thereby removing the flow alignment when the liquid crystal is filled.

For the sealant, for example, an epoxy resin containing a hardener and an alumina ball as a spacer can be used. Liquid crystals include nematic liquid crystals and discotic liquid crystals, among which nematic liquid crystals are preferred. For example, Schiff base liquid crystals, azoxy liquid crystals, and biphenyl liquid crystals can be used. Phenylcyclohexane liquid crystal, ester liquid crystal, terphenyl liquid crystal, biphenyl cyclohexane liquid crystal, pyrimidine liquid crystal, dioxane liquid crystal, bicyclooctane liquid crystal, cubane liquid crystal, etc. . In addition, cholesteric liquid crystal (cholesteric liquid crystal), chiral agent, ferroelectric liquid crystal, etc. may be added to these liquid crystals and used.

In the case of manufacturing a PSA type liquid crystal display element, a liquid crystal cell is constructed in the same manner as described above except that the photopolymerizable compound is injected or dropped together with the liquid crystal. Thereafter, the liquid crystal cell is irradiated with light while applying a DC or AC voltage between the conductive films of the pair of substrates. In addition, in the case where a liquid crystal alignment agent containing a photopolymerizable compound is used to form a coating film on a substrate, a liquid crystal cell may be constructed in the same manner as described above, and thereafter, it may pass through between conductive films provided on a pair of substrates The liquid crystal cell is manufactured by the step of irradiating the liquid crystal cell with a DC or AC voltage applied.

Furthermore, the liquid crystal display element of the present invention can be obtained by bonding a polarizing plate to the outer surface of the liquid crystal cell. Examples of the polarizing plate attached to the outer surface of the liquid crystal cell include a polarizing plate formed by sandwiching a polarizing film called “H film” with a cellulose acetate protective film or a polarizing plate containing the H film itself. The "H film" is formed by absorbing iodine while extending the polyvinyl alcohol.

The liquid crystal element of the present invention can be effectively applied to a variety of devices, such as: clocks, portable game consoles, word processors, notebook personal computers, car navigation systems, camcorders, personal digital assistants (Personal Digital Assistant, PDA) ), digital cameras, mobile phones, smart phones, various monitors, LCD TVs and other display devices or dimming films. In addition, the liquid crystal element formed using the liquid crystal alignment agent of the present invention can also be applied to a retardation film.

[Example] Hereinafter, the present invention will be further specifically described based on examples, but the present invention is not limited by these examples.

The solution viscosity of each polymer solution in the synthesis example, the imidate ratio of polyimide, the weight average molecular weight, and the epoxy equivalent were measured by the following methods. [Solution viscosity of polymer solution (mPa·s)] A solution adjusted to a polymer concentration of 10% by weight using a predetermined solvent at 25° C. using an E-type rotary viscometer. [Amidation rate of polyimide] The solution of polyimide was poured into pure water, the resulting precipitate was sufficiently dried under reduced pressure at room temperature, and then dissolved in deuterated dimethyl sulfoxide, Silane tetramethylsilane as a reference substance, measuring ¹ H- nuclear magnetic resonance ^{(1 H-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance,} 1 H-NMR) at room temperature. Based on the obtained ¹ H-NMR spectrum, the imidate ratio [%] was determined by the following formula (1). Acetylimidization rate [%] = (1-A ¹ /A ² ×α)×100…(1) (In formula (1), A ¹ is a proton from an NH group that appears near a chemical shift of 10 ppm The peak area comes from, A ^{2 is} the peak area from other protons, α is the ratio of the number of other protons relative to one proton of the NH group in the polymer precursor (polyamide) The weight average molecular weight Mw] is a polystyrene conversion value measured by gel permeation chromatography under the following conditions. Column: Tosoh Co., Ltd., TSKgelGRCXLII Solvent: Tetrahydrofuran Temperature: 40°C Pressure: 68 kgf/cm ² [Epoxy Equivalent] Use Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) C 2105 Hydrochloric acid-methyl ethyl ketone method to determine.

<Synthesis of Polymer> [Synthesis Example 1: Synthesis of Polyimide (PI-1)] 2,3,5-tricarboxycyclopentylacetic acid dianhydride (TCA) as a tetracarboxylic dianhydride (TCA) 22.4 g (0.1 mol), p-phenylenediamine (PDA) as a diamine 8.6 g (0.08 mol ) And 10.5 g (0.02 mol) of 3,5-diaminobenzoic acid cholesteryl ester (HCDA) were dissolved in 166 g of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) at 60°C for 6 hours After the reaction, a solution containing 20% by weight of polyamic acid was obtained. A small amount of the obtained polyamic acid solution was taken, and NMP was added to make a solution having a polyamic acid concentration of 10% by weight, and the viscosity of the measured solution was 90 mPa·s. Next, NMP was added to the obtained polyamic acid solution to prepare a solution having a polyamic acid concentration of 7% by weight, 11.9 g of pyridine and 15.3 g of acetic anhydride were added, and a dehydration ring-closing reaction was performed at 110° C. for 4 hours. After the dehydration ring-closure reaction, the solvent in the system is replaced with a new NMP (using this operation to remove the pyridine and acetic anhydride used in the dehydration ring-closure reaction to the outside of the system. The same applies below) A solution of polyimide (PI-1) with an amidation rate of about 68%. A small amount of the obtained polyimide solution was added, and NMP was added to prepare a solution having a polyimide concentration of 10% by weight. The viscosity of the solution was 45 mPa·s. Then, the reaction solution was poured into excess methanol to precipitate the reaction product. The precipitate was washed with methanol, and dried at 40° C. for 15 hours under reduced pressure, thereby obtaining polyimide (PI-1).

[Synthesis Example 2: Synthesis of Polyimide (PI-2)] TCA 22.5 g (0.1 mole) as tetracarboxylic dianhydride, 7.6 g (0.07 mole) of PDA as diamine, 5.2 g (0.01 mole) of HCDA and 4,4'-diaminodiphenyl 4.0 g (0.02 mol) of methane (DDM) was dissolved in 157 g of NMP, and the reaction was carried out at 60° C. for 6 hours to obtain a solution containing 20% by weight of polyamic acid. A small amount of the obtained polyamic acid solution was taken, and NMP was added to make a solution having a polyamic acid concentration of 10% by weight. The viscosity of the measured solution was 110 mPa·s. Then, NMP was added to the obtained polyamic acid solution to prepare a solution having a polyamic acid concentration of 7% by weight, 16.6 g of pyridine and 21.4 g of acetic anhydride were added, and a dehydration ring-closing reaction was performed at 110° C. for 4 hours. After the dehydration and ring-closing reaction, the solvent in the system was replaced with a new NMP, thereby obtaining a solution containing 26% by weight of polyimide (PI-2) with an imidization rate of about 82%. A small amount of the obtained polyimide solution was added, and NMP was added to prepare a solution having a polyimide concentration of 10% by weight. The viscosity of the solution was 62 mPa·s. Then, the reaction solution was poured into excess methanol to precipitate the reaction product. The precipitate was washed with methanol and dried at 40° C. for 15 hours under reduced pressure, thereby obtaining polyimide (PI-2).

[Synthesis Example 3: Synthesis of Polyimide (PI-3)] Bicyclic [3.3.0]octane-2,4,6,8-tetracarboxylic acid 2:4,6:8-dianhydride (BODA) 24.9 g (0.10 mole) as tetracarboxylic dianhydride, as 8.6 g (0.08 mol) of diamine PDA and 10.4 g (0.02 mol) of HCDA were dissolved in 176 g of NMP and reacted at 60° C. for 6 hours to obtain a solution containing 20% by weight of polyamic acid. A small amount of the obtained polyamic acid solution was taken, and NMP was added to prepare a solution having a polyamic acid concentration of 10% by weight. The viscosity of the solution was 103 mPa·s. Next, NMP was added to the obtained polyamic acid solution to prepare a solution having a polyamic acid concentration of 7% by weight, 11.9 g of pyridine and 15.3 g of acetic anhydride were added, and a dehydration ring-closing reaction was performed at 110° C. for 4 hours. After the dehydration and ring-closing reaction, the solvent in the system was replaced with new NMP, thereby obtaining a solution containing 26% by weight of polyimide (PI-3) with an imidization rate of about 71%. A small amount of the obtained polyimide solution was added, and NMP was added to prepare a solution with a polyimide concentration of 10% by weight. The viscosity of the solution was 57 mPa·s. Then, the reaction solution was poured into excess methanol to precipitate the reaction product. The precipitate was washed with methanol and dried at 40° C. for 15 hours under reduced pressure, thereby obtaining polyimide (PI-3).

[Synthesis Example 4: Synthesis of Polyimide (PI-4)] TCA 110 g (0.50 mol) and 1,3,3a,4,5,9b-hexahydro-8-methyl-5-(tetrahydro-2,5-bilateral oxygen) -3-furyl)naphtho[1,2-c]furan-1,3-dione 160 g (0.50 mol), diamine PDA 91 g (0.85 mol), 1,3-bis( 3-aminopropyl)tetramethyldisilaxane 25 g (0.10 mol) and 3,6-bis(4-aminobenzyloxy) cholesterane 25 g (0.040 mol), And 1.4 g (0.015 mol) of aniline as a monoamine was dissolved in 960 g of NMP, and the reaction was carried out at 60° C. for 6 hours, thereby obtaining a solution containing polyamic acid. A small amount of the obtained polyamic acid solution was taken, and NMP was added to make a solution having a polyamic acid concentration of 10% by weight. The viscosity of the solution was 60 mPa·s. Then, 2,700 g of NMP was added to the obtained polyamic acid solution, and 390 g of pyridine and 410 g of acetic anhydride were added to perform a dehydration ring-closing reaction at 110°C for 4 hours. After the dehydration and ring-closing reaction, the solvent in the system was replaced with new γ-butyrolactone, thereby obtaining about 2,500 g of polyimide containing 15% by weight of the imidate (PI- 4) The solution. A small amount of the solution was taken, and NMP was added to prepare a solution of polyimide with a concentration of 10% by weight. The viscosity of the measured solution was 70 mPa·s. Then, the reaction solution was poured into excess methanol to precipitate the reaction product. The precipitate was washed with methanol and dried at 40° C. for 15 hours under reduced pressure, thereby obtaining polyimide (PI-4).

[Synthesis Example 5: Synthesis of Polyimide (PI-5)] TCA 22.4 g (0.1 mol) as tetracarboxylic dianhydride, 8.6 g (0.08 mol) as PDA as diamine, 2.0 g (0.01 mol) of DDM and 2,2'-bis(trifluoromethyl) ) -4,4'-diaminobiphenyl 3.2 g (0.01 mol) was dissolved in NMP 324 g and reacted at 60° C. for 4 hours to obtain a solution containing 10% by weight of polyamic acid. Then, 360 g of NMP was added to the obtained polyamic acid solution, 39.5 g of pyridine and 30.6 g of acetic anhydride were added, and a dehydration ring-closing reaction was performed at 110° C. for 4 hours. After the dehydration and ring-closing reaction, the solvent in the system was replaced with new NMP to obtain a solution containing 10% by weight of polyimide (PI-5) with an imidization rate of about 93%. A small amount of the obtained polyamic acid solution was taken, and the viscosity of the measured solution was 30 mPa·s. Then, the reaction solution was poured into excess methanol to precipitate the reaction product. The precipitate was washed with methanol and dried at 40° C. for 15 hours under reduced pressure, thereby obtaining polyimide (PI-5).

[Synthesis Example 6: Synthesis of Polyimide (PI-6)] Change the diamine used to 3,5-diaminobenzoic acid (3,5DAB) 0.08 moles and cholesteryloxy-2,4-diaminobenzene (HCODA) 0.02 moles, except this Otherwise, a polyamic acid solution was obtained by the same method as in Synthesis Example 1 described above. A small amount of the obtained polyamic acid solution was taken, and NMP was added to make a solution having a polyamic acid concentration of 10% by weight. The viscosity of the measured solution was 80 mPa·s. Then, the imidate was carried out by the same method as in Synthesis Example 1 described above to obtain a solution containing polyimide (PI-6) having a 26% by weight imidate ratio of approximately 65%. A small amount of the obtained polyimide solution was taken, and NMP was added to make a solution with a polyimide concentration of 10% by weight. The viscosity of the solution was 40 mPa·s. Then, the reaction solution was poured into excess methanol to precipitate the reaction product. The precipitate was washed with methanol and dried under reduced pressure at 40°C for 15 hours, thereby obtaining polyimide (PI-6).

[Synthesis Example 7: Synthesis of Polyamic Acid (PA-1)] 200 g (1.0 mol) of 1,2,3,4-cyclobutane tetracarboxylic dianhydride (CB) as tetracarboxylic dianhydride and 2,2'-dimethyl-4 as diamine, 4'-Diaminobiphenyl 210 g (1.0 mol) was dissolved in a mixed solvent of NMP 370 g and γ-butyrolactone 3,300 g, and reacted at 40°C for 3 hours to obtain a solid content concentration of 10% by weight. Polyamic acid solution with a solution viscosity of 160 mPa·s. Then, the polyamic acid solution was poured into excess methanol to precipitate the reaction product. The precipitate was washed with methanol, and dried at 40° C. for 15 hours under reduced pressure, thereby obtaining polyamide (PA-1).

[Synthesis Example 8: Synthesis of Polyamide (PA-2)] The tetracarboxylic dianhydride used was pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) 0.9 mole and CB 0.1 mole, the diamine was PDA 0.2 mole and 4,4'-diaminodiphenyl ether ( DDE) 0.8 mol, except that the polyamic acid solution with a solid content concentration of 10% by weight and a solution viscosity of 170 mPa·s was obtained by the same method as in Synthesis Example 7 above. Then, the polyamic acid solution was poured into excess methanol to precipitate the reaction product. The precipitate was washed with methanol, and dried at 40° C. for 15 hours under reduced pressure, thereby obtaining polyamide (PA-2).

[Synthesis Example 9: Synthesis of polyamic acid (PA-3)] A compound represented by the following formula (R-1) as TCA 7.0 g (0.031 mole) as tetracarboxylic dianhydride and diamine 13 g (equivalent to 1 mole relative to 1 mole TCA) was dissolved in 80 g of NMP, and the reaction was carried out at 60° C. for 4 hours to obtain a solution containing 20% by weight of polyamic acid (PA-3). The solution viscosity of the polyamide solution is 2,000 mPa·s. In addition, the compound represented by the following formula (R-1) was synthesized according to the description in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-100099. Then, the polyamic acid solution was poured into excess methanol to precipitate the reaction product. The precipitate was washed with methanol, and dried at 40° C. for 15 hours under reduced pressure, thereby obtaining polyamide (PA-3). [化6]

[Synthesis Example 10: Synthesis of polyorganosiloxane (ASP-1)] In a reaction vessel equipped with a stirrer, a thermometer, a dropping funnel, and a reflux cooling tube, 2-(3,4-epoxycyclohexyl) B was charged 100.0 g of trimethoxysilane (ECETS), 500 g of methyl isobutyl ketone and 10.0 g of triethylamine were mixed at room temperature. Then, 100 g of deionized water was added dropwise over 30 minutes using a dropping funnel, and the reaction was carried out at 80° C. for 6 hours while stirring under reflux. After the reaction was completed, the organic layer was taken out, washed with 0.2% by weight ammonium nitrate aqueous solution until the washed water became neutral, and then the solvent and water were distilled off under reduced pressure, thereby obtaining the reaction as a viscous transparent liquid Polyorganosiloxane (EPS-1). ¹ H-NMR analysis was performed on the reactive polyorganosiloxane (EPS-1), and as a result, a peak value based on epoxy groups of theoretical intensity was obtained near the chemical shift (δ)=3.2 ppm, thereby confirming that no reaction occurred Epoxy side reactions. The weight average molecular weight Mw of the obtained reactive polyorganosiloxane was 3,500, and the epoxy equivalent was 180 g/mole. Then, in a 200 mL three-necked flask, 10.0 g of reactive polyorganosiloxane (EPS-1), 30.28 g of methyl isobutyl ketone as a solvent, and 4-dodecyl oxygen as a reactive compound were placed. 3.98 g of benzoic acid and 0.10 g of UCAT 18X (trade name, manufactured by San-Apro Co., Ltd.) as a catalyst were reacted with stirring at 100° C. for 48 hours. After the reaction was completed, the solution obtained by adding ethyl acetate to the reaction mixture was washed three times with water, and the organic layer was dried with magnesium sulfate, and then the solvent was distilled off, thereby obtaining 9.0 g of liquid crystal alignment polyorganosiloxane (ASP-1). The weight average molecular weight Mw of the obtained polymer was 9,900.

[Synthesis Example 11: Synthesis of polyorganosiloxane (PS1)] In a reaction vessel equipped with a stirrer, thermometer, dropping funnel and reflux cooling tube, add 31 g of p-styryltrimethoxysilane, 70 g of tetrahydrofuran, 33 g of triethylamine and 25 g of deionized water at room temperature Under the mixing. Then, the reaction was carried out at 60°C for 3 hours while stirring under reflux. After the reaction was completed, the organic layer was taken out, 60 g of diethylene glycol diethyl ether was added, and the mixture was concentrated by heating. After concentration to a solid content concentration of 30%, a diethylene glycol diethyl ether solution of polyorganosiloxane (PS1) was obtained. [Synthesis Example 12, Synthesis Example 13] The input raw materials were set as shown in Table 1 below, and otherwise, diethylene glycol diethyl ether of polyorganosiloxane (PS2) and polyorganosiloxane (PS3) was obtained by the same synthesis method as Synthesis Example 11. Solution. The weight average molecular weight Mw of the obtained polyorganosiloxane is shown in Table 1 below.

[Table 1]

In addition, in Table 1, the abbreviations of raw material silane compounds have the following meanings, respectively. STTMS: p-styryl trimethoxysilane ECETMS: 2-(3,4-epoxycyclohexyl)ethyltrimethoxysilane PTMS: Phenyltrimethoxysilane

[Example 1] <Preparation of liquid crystal alignment agent> Using polyimide (PI-1) as a polymer, trimethyl phosphate (PTM), N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and butyl cellosolve (BC) are added as solvents The solvent composition is a solution of PTM:NMP:BC=20:40:40 (weight ratio) and solid content concentration of 6.5% by weight. The solution was filtered using a filter with a pore size of 1 μm, thereby preparing a liquid crystal alignment agent (S-1). In addition, the liquid crystal alignment agent (S-1) is mainly used for manufacturing a vertical alignment type liquid crystal display element.

<Evaluation of Swelling Characteristics of Printing Plate> The liquid crystal alignment agent (S-1) was used to evaluate the ease of swelling of the APR plate (swelling characteristics). The APR plate is a resin plate formed by partially irradiating a liquid photosensitive resin irradiated with ultraviolet rays, and is generally used in a printing plate of a liquid crystal alignment film printer. When the liquid crystal alignment agent is in contact with the APR plate, the APR plate is less likely to swell. This means that the liquid crystal alignment agent does not easily penetrate into the APR plate during printing and the printability is good. The evaluation of the swelling characteristics was performed by immersing the APR plate in the liquid crystal alignment agent for one day, and measuring the weight change of the APR plate before and after immersion. At this time, when the weight increase rate (swelling rate) of the APR version is less than 4%, the APR version is less likely to swell and is evaluated as good (○), and when the increase rate is 4% or more, the APR version tends to swell and The evaluation was bad (×). As a result, in the above examples, the swelling ratio was 3.5%, and the swelling characteristics were “good (○)”. The swelling ratio is calculated using the following formula (2). Swelling rate [%]=(W ² -W ¹ )/W ¹ )×100…(2) (In equation (2), W ¹ is the weight of the APR version before dipping, and W ² is the APR version after dipping the weight of)

<Evaluation of printability> Regarding the liquid crystal alignment agent (S-1) prepared in the above, the printability (continuous printability) in the case where printing to the substrate is continuously performed is evaluated. The evaluation was carried out as follows. First, a liquid crystal alignment film printer (manufactured by Japan Photographic Printers Co., Ltd., Angstrom format "S40L-532") was used to apply the liquid crystal alignment agent (S-1) to the anilox roller. The dosage is set to 20 round-trips (about 0.2 g), and is printed on the transparent electrode surface of the glass substrate with the transparent electrode containing the ITO film. Regarding the printing on the substrate, the new substrate was used 20 times at 1 minute intervals. Then, the liquid crystal aligning agent (S-1) was dispensed (single pass) onto the anilox roller at 1-minute intervals. At that time, a total of 10 operations of contacting the anilox roller with the printing plate (hereinafter referred to as idle operation) were performed ( During this period, the glass substrate is not printed). In addition, the idling operation is an operation performed to intentionally perform printing of the liquid crystal alignment agent under severe conditions. After 10 dry runs, the glass substrate was used for official printing. In the final printing, after empty running, 5 substrates are put in at 30-second intervals, and each substrate after printing is heated (pre-baked) at 80°C for 1 minute to remove the solvent, and then at 200°C for 10 minutes Heat (post-bake) to form a coating with a thickness of about 80 nm. Printability (continuous printability) was evaluated by observing the coating film using a microscope with a magnification of 20 times. Regarding the evaluation, the case where no polymer precipitation was observed in the first official printing after the idling operation was regarded as continuous printability "good (○)", and it was observed in the first official printing after the idling operation Precipitation of the polymer, but when the precipitation of the polymer was not observed during the 5 times of full-scale printing, it was regarded as continuous printability "OK (△)", and polymerization was observed after 5 times of the full-scale printing was repeated In the case of the precipitation of the substance, it is assumed that the continuous printability is "poor (×)". As a result, the continuous printability in the examples was "good (○)". In addition, it is known from experiments that in the liquid crystal alignment agent with good printability, the polymer precipitation becomes better (disappears) during continuous input into the substrate. In addition, the number of idling operations was further changed to 15, 20, and 25, and the printability of the liquid crystal alignment agent was evaluated in the same manner as described above. As a result, in the above example, the idling operation was set "Good (○)" at 15 times and 20 times, and "OK (△)" at 25 times.

[Example 2 to Example 31 and Comparative Example 1 to Comparative Example 5] The types and compositions of the polymer and solvent used were changed as described in Table 2 below, except that the liquid crystal alignment agent (S-2) was prepared by the same method as in Example 1 described above. Liquid crystal alignment agent (S-31) and liquid crystal alignment agent (SR-1) ~ liquid crystal alignment agent (SR-5). In addition, regarding each liquid crystal alignment agent, the swelling characteristics and printability of the printing plate were evaluated in the same manner as in Example 1 described above. The results of these evaluations are shown in Table 2 below.

[Table 2]

In Table 2, regarding the use of two polymers as polymer components (Example 18 to Example 31), the use ratio (weight) of each polymer to 100 parts by weight of the total amount of polymers used is also shown. ratio). Among the liquid crystal alignment agents, (S-2) to (S-17) and (SR-1) to (SR-5) are mainly used in the manufacture of vertical alignment type liquid crystal display elements, (S-18) to (S -23) Mainly used in the manufacture of TN type liquid crystal display elements, (S-24) is mainly used in the manufacture of IPS liquid crystal display elements, and (S-29) to (S-31) are mainly used to use the optical alignment method The manufacture of vertical alignment type liquid crystal display elements, (S-25) ~ (S-28) is mainly used for the manufacture of PSA liquid crystal display elements. In Table 2, the numerical value of the solvent composition indicates the compounding ratio (weight ratio) of each compound with respect to the total amount of the solvent used in the preparation of the liquid crystal alignment agent (the same applies to the following Tables 3 to 5). The symbols of the solvent composition have the following meanings. a: Trimethyl phosphate b: Triethyl phosphate c: Triamide hexamethylphosphate d: N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone e: N-ethyl-2-pyrrolidone f: γ-butyrolactone g: γ-valerolactone h: δ-valerolactone i: N,N-diethylacetamide j: butyl cellosolve k: diethylene glycol diethyl ether l: Propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate

[Example 32 to Example 52] The types and compositions of the polymer and solvent used were changed as described in Table 3 below, except that the liquid crystal alignment agent (S-32) was prepared by the same method as in Example 1 described above. Liquid crystal alignment agent (S-52). In addition, regarding each liquid crystal alignment agent, the swelling characteristics and printability of the printing plate were evaluated in the same manner as in Example 1 described above. The results of these evaluations are shown in Table 3 below.

[table 3]

In Table 3, regarding the use of two polymers as polymer components (Example 40 to Example 43, Example 50 to Example 52), the total amount of each polymer relative to the polymer used is also shown. Use ratio of 100 parts by weight (weight ratio). In addition, among the liquid crystal alignment agents, (S-32) to (S-39) and (S-44) to (S-49) are mainly used for the manufacture of vertical alignment type liquid crystal display elements, (S-40) to (S-43) and (S-50) to (S-52) are mainly used for the manufacture of TN type liquid crystal display elements. In Table 3, the symbols of the solvent composition have the following meanings. d and j are the same as in Table 2 above. m: N,N-dimethyl propyl urea n: 4-Methyl morpholine o: 3-methyl-2-oxazolidinone p: Tetrahydro-4H-pyran-4-one r: Tetramethylene sulfoxide s: 3-methylcyclohexanone t: 4-methylcyclohexanone

[Example 53 to Example 56] The types and compositions of the polymer components and solvents used were changed as described in Table 4 below, except that the liquid crystal alignment agent (S-53) was prepared by the same method as in Example 1 described above. ~Liquid crystal alignment agent (S-56). In addition, regarding each liquid crystal alignment agent, the swelling characteristics and printability of the printing plate were evaluated in the same manner as in Example 1 described above. The results of these evaluations are shown in Table 4 below.

[Table 4]

In Table 4, regarding the use of two polymers as polymer components (Example 55 and Example 56), the use ratio (weight) of each polymer to 100 parts by weight of the total amount of polymers used is also shown. ratio). In addition, among the liquid crystal alignment agents, (S-53) and (S-54) are mainly used for the manufacture of vertical alignment type liquid crystal display elements, and (S-55) and (S-56) are mainly used for TN type liquid crystals Manufacturing of display elements. In Table 4, the symbols of the solvent composition have the following meanings. d and j are the same as in Table 2 above. q: 5-methyl-2-furancarboxaldehyde u: N,N-dimethyllactamide (compound represented by the following formula (10-1))

[Examples 57 to 60] The types and compositions of the polymers and solvents used were changed as described in Table 5 below, except that they were prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 above. Liquid crystal alignment agent (S-57) ~ liquid crystal alignment agent (S-60). In addition, regarding each liquid crystal alignment agent, the swelling characteristics and printability of the printing plate were evaluated in the same manner as in Example 1 described above. The results of these evaluations are shown in Table 5 below. In addition, in Table 5, the numerical value in the column of the polymer component indicates the use ratio (weight ratio) of each polymer to 100 parts by weight of the total amount of the polymer used. The symbols (d, m, j) of the solvent composition are the same as those in Table 2 and Table 3 above. [table 5]

From the results, it can be seen that the liquid crystal alignment agents (Examples 1 to 60) containing the specific solvent are less likely to swell the printing plate, and the continuous printability is also good. On the other hand, the swelling characteristics and continuous printability of the liquid crystal alignment agent of the comparative example that does not contain the specific solvent are inferior to the examples.

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Claims (5)

A liquid crystal alignment agent containing: Polymer composition, and At least one specific solvent selected from the group consisting of 3-methylcyclohexanone and 4-methylcyclohexanone. The liquid crystal alignment agent according to item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein the polymer component contains a group selected from the group consisting of polyamic acid, polyamic acid ester, polyimide, and polyorganosiloxane Of at least one polymer. The liquid crystal alignment agent according to item 1 or 2 of the patent application range, wherein the content ratio of the specific solvent is 1% to 80% by weight relative to the total amount of the solvent in the liquid crystal alignment agent. A liquid crystal alignment film formed using the liquid crystal alignment agent according to any one of the first to third patent application ranges. A liquid crystal element comprising the liquid crystal alignment film as described in item 4 of the patent application.