Method for producing reflective layer, and reflective layer

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a reflective layer having an excellent diffuse reflectivity and a wide reflection wavelength range. Another object of the present invention is to provide a reflective layer having an excellent diffuse reflectivity and a wide reflection wavelength range. The method for producing a reflective layer of the present invention includes: a step 1 of applying a composition selected from the group consisting of the following composition X and the following composition Y onto a substrate to form a composition layer; a step 2 of heating the composition layer to align a liquid crystal compound in the composition layer into a cholesteric liquid crystalline phase state; a step 3 of cooling or heating the composition layer in a cholesteric liquid crystalline phase state to reduce a helical pitch; and a step 4 of irradiating at least a partial region of the composition layer with light, between the step 1 and the step 2, between the step 2 and the step 3, or after the step 3, to photosensitize a chiral agent A or a chiral agent C in the composition layer. Composition X: a composition including a liquid crystal compound, a chiral agent A whose helical twisting power is changed upon light irradiation, and a chiral agent B whose helical twisting power is increased upon cooling or heating. Composition Y: a composition including a liquid crystal compound and a chiral agent C whose helical twisting power is changed upon light irradiation and whose helical twisting power is increased upon cooling or heating.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.