Metal-Organic Frameworks for Regeneration of Degraded Liquid Crystals

This paper is concerned with the dramatic purification effect of porous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and regeneration of a degraded liquid crystal (LC) as leftover from a flat-panel production line. By soaking MOFs in the LC, the correlation between the recovery of electrical properties and the water-sorption capacity of MOFs is unambiguously revealed. Experimental evidence from the data of voltage-dependent capacitance, dielectric spectroscopy and voltage holding ratio strongly suggests that the primary contaminant in a LC leftover is moisture. This investigation paves the way for feasible recycling of deteriorated LC materials. The approach reported in this study can be applied to many fluids for purification and regeneration.