Patent ID: 8009264

Claim:
A composition for a photo-alignment film, comprising an azo compound of formula (1) by general formula (1) and a polymer that exhibits mutual solubility with the azo compound represented by the general formula (1): wherein R 1 and R 2 each independently represents a hydroxyl group or a polymerizable functional group selected from the group consisting of a (meth)acryloyl group, (meth)acryloyloxy group, (meth)acryloylamino group, vinyl group, vinyloxy group and maleimide group, provided that at least one of R 1 and R 2 represents a polymerizable functional group, A 1 and A 2 each independently represents a single bond or a divalent hydrocarbon group that may be substituted with an alkoxy group, and B 1 and B 2 each independently represents a single bond, —O—, —CO—O—, —O—CO—, —CO—NH—, —NH—CO—, —NH—CO—O— or —O—CO—NH—, provided that a —O—O— linkage is not formed in a link to R 1 and R 2 , m and n each independently represents an integer of 0 to 4 wherein, when m or n is 2 or greater, a plurality of A 1 , B 1 , A 2 , and B 2 groups may be respectively identical or different, and an A 1 or A 2 group sandwiched between two B 1 groups or B 2 groups represents a divalent hydrocarbon group that may be substituted with an alkoxy group, R 3 to R 6 each independently represents a hydrogen atom, halogen atom, halogenated alkyl group, allyloxy group, cyano group, nitro group, alkyl group, hydroxyalkyl group, alkoxy group, carboxyl group or alkali metal salt thereof, alkoxycarbonyl group, halogenated methoxy group, hydroxyl group, sulfonyloxy group or alkali metal salt thereof, amino group, carbamoyl group, sulfamoyl group, or a polymerizable functional group selected from the group consisting of a (meth)acryloyl group, (meth)acryloyloxy group, (meth)acryloylamino group, vinyl vinyloxy group, and maleimide group, wherein the polymer that exhibits mutual solubility with the azo compound of formula (1) by the general formula (1) is a polymer having a substituent represented by any one of the structure shown below: wherein Y represents a hydroxyl group, —ONa, —OK, —OLi, or an amino group.