LC‑MN Reactive Liquid Crystal
UV-Curable Reactive Liquid Crystal
A reactive mesogen that UV‑cures its aligned structure in place, controlling phase retardation from a very thin film.
Molecular order, fixed as a thin and precise optical function.
LC-MN is a diacrylate reactive mesogen liquid-crystal monomer developed by Ons. Coated thinly over an alignment layer, it settles into the designed direction and is then locked there by UV curing. The resulting layer controls birefringence — the refractive-index anisotropy — and phase retardation precisely enough to serve polarising films, 3D optical films and other optical components.
Where ordinary liquid crystal keeps responding to its surroundings, a reactive liquid crystal converts an aligned state into a permanent functional thin film. Optical anisotropy and retardation control from a very thin coat is what makes it attractive for slimming and lightening components. It coats onto glass and a range of films by several methods.
Ons developed and supplied LC-MN from 2011 and produced an LCD photo-alignment layer from 2013 — both at the request of a major Korean display manufacturer. Mass adoption stalled as 3D TV never became universal, but technical collaboration on other display and optical applications continues. Our real advantage is that we do not treat the alignment layer and LC-MN as two separate raw materials, but as one coating–alignment–curing process.
The alignment layer designs the direction; LC-MN turns that direction into an optical function.
- 01
Coat the alignment layer
The alignment layer is coated thinly and uniformly onto a glass or plastic film substrate.
- 02
Define the alignment direction
The layer establishes the reference direction the liquid crystal will follow — its precision decides the optical result.
- 03
Apply LC-MN
The LC-MN reactive liquid crystal is coated thinly on top, with viscosity and thickness tuned to the target retardation and coating method.
- 04
Molecules align
LC-MN molecules line up along the alignment layer. Poor interfacial compatibility shows up here as mura.
- 05
UV curing
UV light crosslinks the diacrylate structure, freezing the aligned state in place.
- 06
The film performs
The finished thin film delivers phase retardation from its refractive-index anisotropy — birefringence put to work as polarisation control.
Because Ons developed both the alignment layer and LC-MN, we can look past individual material specs to the fit of the whole substrate–coating–alignment–curing sequence.
- 01
Structure fixed by UV curing
Crosslinks the aligned liquid crystal structure quickly and permanently
- 02
Precise retardation control
Controls refractive-index anisotropy and phase retardation from a thin layer
- 03
Diacrylate reactive mesogen
An N-type liquid crystal monomer
- 04
Coats glass and film
Applies to a range of substrates by multiple coating methods
- 05
Designed with the alignment layer
Alignment stability and interface designed as one
- 06
Suited to lightweight optics
Enables thin components built on plastic film substrates
Retardation film
Patterned retarder 3D film for polarised eyewear
Functional polarising and retardation films
Thin-film 3D optical film
Lightweight optical components on plastic substrates
Developed, produced and supplied LC-MN since 2011
Accumulated capability in both reactive liquid crystal and alignment layers
Product and process optimisation by target retardation, viscosity and coating method
Co-development experience with a major Korean display manufacturer
Technical support that reads coating, alignment and curing as a single process
Domestic production that can start from trial quantities
LC-MN is not the material that chooses the direction — it is the material that keeps that direction as optical performance.
Product data — LC-1
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Composition | N-type liquid crystal compound — a reactive mesogen, diacrylate LC monomer |
| Substrates | Coats onto glass and films, by a range of coating methods |
| Applications | Retardation film, patterned film for polarised 3D glasses |
| Storage | Clean room at 20–25 ℃, dry and sealed, away from light and moisture |
| If crystallised | Warm to 40 ℃ to redissolve before use |
- How does a reactive liquid crystal differ from ordinary liquid crystal?
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Ordinary liquid crystal keeps responding to voltage, temperature and other external conditions. A reactive liquid crystal, once aligned and UV-cured, has that molecular arrangement locked — it becomes a fixed functional thin film. That is why it is used for passive optics such as retardation films rather than switching elements.
- Can LC-MN be used without an alignment layer?
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Without an alignment layer there is no reference direction for the molecules to follow, so uniform alignment is hard to obtain. If retardation control is the goal, the alignment coating is effectively a prerequisite. We supply the alignment layer alongside and set the interfacial conditions for the pair.
- The material has crystallised in storage — what should we do?
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Store it in a 20–25 ℃ clean room, dry and sealed, away from light and moisture. If it has crystallised, warm it to 40 ℃ to redissolve before use.
- What retardation range can you achieve?
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Retardation is set by coating thickness, alignment conditions and substrate, so a single number would be misleading. Give us your target retardation, design wavelength, substrate and coating method and we will return test data and a specification for those conditions.
What are you looking to solve?
Send us the substrate and your constraints — we will come back with an assessment and samples.