Article
Optics
Risti Suryantari, Yi-hong Shih, Yu-han Shih, Hui-yu Chen, Cen-shawn Wu, Chia-yi Huang
Summary: This work utilizes surface acoustic waves (SAWs) generated by a piezoelectric substrate with an interdigital transducer (IDT) to fabricate a polymer-stabilized blue phase liquid crystal (PS-BPLC) layer. The PS-BPLC layer exhibits a more uniform optical microscope (OM) image and smaller full width at half maximum (FWHM) when a voltage of 2 mV is applied compared to zero voltage. The monodomain structure of the PS-BPLC layer is attributed to the longitudinal and transverse vibrations induced by SAWs in the vertical plane. The proposed method shows potential for low power consumption in the fabrication of reflective optical devices.
Review
Polymer Science
Yong Ye, Li Guo, Tingjun Zhong
Summary: Polymer-stabilized liquid crystals (PSLCs) are versatile materials with polymer networks providing anchoring energy for liquid crystals. This review details various improvements in PSLCs, including polymer-stabilized nematic, cholesteric, blue phase, smectic, ferroelectric, and antiferroelectric liquid crystals. PSLCs offer multiple functionalities, such as reorientation in smart windows and manual tuning of reflection bandwidth in broadband reflectors. PSBPLCs open up new possibilities for displays, modulators, sensors, lasers, lenses, and photonics applications. Polymer networks in PSFLCs or PSAFLCs enhance grayscale memories for flexible displays and energy-saving smart cards. The remaining challenges and research opportunities in PSLCs are also discussed.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Ying Chen, Huaruo Cui, Ran Duan, Ruiqi Tang, Yingping Tong, Dongyu Zhao, Wanli He
Summary: Blue phase liquid crystals (BPLCs) have significant potential as next-generation candidates for liquid crystal displays (LCDs), but they suffer from low brightness and energy efficiency due to the need for an extra backlight device. Carbon dots (CDs), a novel fluorescent carbon nanomaterial, were synthesized and introduced into BPLCs to create photoluminescent blue phase liquid crystals (CDs-BPLCs) with self-photoluminescence. CDs not only improve the stability of BPLCs, but also enhance their optical properties. This research opens up possibilities for the development of novel energy-saving display devices.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kyung Min Lee, Urice Tohgha, Timothy J. Bunning, Michael E. McConney, Nicholas P. Godman
Summary: Controlling the phase behavior of blue phase liquid crystals (BPLCs) can be achieved by varying the concentration of the amorphous crosslinker PETA. PETA stabilizes the BP-I phase and prevents the formation of the BP-II phase. The addition of PETA widens the temperature window of BP-I and polymer stabilization further enhances the properties of BPLCs.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Urice N. Tohgha, Ecklin P. Crenshaw, Michael E. McConney, Kyung Min Lee, Nicholas P. Godman
Summary: Nanoparticles of various shapes and sizes affect the optical properties and blue phase stabilization of BP liquid crystals. The dispersion of nanoparticles in the LC medium affects the position of the BP reflection band and the stabilization of BPs. The size and shape of nanomaterials greatly influence the interaction with LCs.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yujie Chen, Chenglin Zheng, Wenjie Yang, Jing Li, Feng Jin, Xiuhong Li, Jingxia Wang, Lei Jiang
Summary: This study successfully achieved a broad-temperature reconstructed laser based on a dye-doped polymer-stabilized blue-phase liquid crystal with a high working temperature range. The temperature-tunable behavior of the laser is associated with the phase transition of the unpolymerized content in the system.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Crystallography
Seiji Fukushima, Kakeru Tokunaga, Takuya Morishita, Hiroki Higuchi, Yasushi Okumura, Hirotsugu Kikuchi, Hidehisa Tazawa
Summary: The study found that introducing tolane-type liquid crystal can increase the blue-phase temperature range and Kerr coefficient, while a Fabry-Perot etalon filled with PSBP can function as a wavelength selective filter. However, issues with light absorption in transparent electrodes may affect the performance, suggesting the need for minor changes to the etalon structure to improve overall efficiency.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Yang Zhang, Qi Zhan, Changrui Wang, Jie Gao, Guofu Zhou, Wei Zhao, Jiawen Chen
Summary: By utilizing reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization reactions, the polymer network structure in polymer-stabilized liquid crystals (PSLCs) can be regulated, resulting in increased elasticity and durability.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Vandna Sharma, Pankaj Kumar
Summary: The electro-optically oriented polymer dispersed liquid crystals (PDLCs) are important for their optical transmission, scattering, and optical phase modulation characteristics. In this study, nanoparticles (NPs) were dispersed in normal mode PDLCs using the polymerization induced phase separation method. The results showed that the phase transition temperature from nematic to isotropic decreased and droplet size increased in NPs dispersed PDLCs compared to pristine PDLCs. The reorientation of liquid crystals required a much lower voltage in NPs dispersed PDLCs, and the Kerr phase increased with the dispersion of NPs.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2022)
Article
Crystallography
Kyung M. Lee, Timothy J. Bunning, Timothy J. White, Michael E. McConney, Nicholas P. Godman
Summary: The study demonstrates that the position and bandwidth of the selective reflection notch in polymer-stabilized cholesteric liquid crystals (PSCLCs) can be adjusted by applying a DC field. The concentration of ions trapped within the polymer network significantly influences the electro-optic response of PSCLC, with photoinitiators increasing ion density in PSCLC. By isolating the contribution of ionic impurities associated with liquid crystal monomers (LCMs) through initiator-less polymerization, the study shows that the tuning or bandwidth broadening of the CLC reflection band depends on the concentration of LCMs and the chirality of the LCM.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Zhibo Zhang, Andrey Bolshakov, Jiecai Han, Jiaqi Zhu, Kun -Lin Yang
Summary: Electrospun polymer-liquid crystal (PLC) fibers can be used in wearable sensors and adaptive textiles due to their rapid response and flexibility. However, existing PLC fibers have limited responsive range and resistance to heat and chemicals. A new type of PLC fiber was prepared using a coaxial electrospinning process, with 5CB as the core solution and a mixture of PVP and RM as the sheath solution. The fibers showed a broad phase-transition temperature range and quick response to toluene vapor. These fibers have the potential to be used in flexible temperature and chemical sensors.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Kelum Perera, Nilanthi Haputhantrige, Md Sakhawat Hossain Himel, Md Mostafa, Alex Adaka, Elizabeth K. Mann, Oleg D. Lavrentovich, Antal Jakli
Summary: This work presents electrically tunable microlenses based on a polymer-stabilized chiral ferroelectric nematic liquid crystal, which exhibit unique properties and lens deformation performance different from traditional liquid crystal lenses. The technology is of great significance in various application fields.
ADVANCED OPTICAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Manlin Zhang, Michael Lindner-D'Addario, Mahdi Roohnikan, Violeta Toader, Robert Bruce Lennox, Linda Reven
Summary: This study investigates the dispersion of ethylene oxide oligomers and polymers, both free and tethered to gold nanoparticles, in blue phase liquid crystals (BPLC). The results show that the functionalization and molecular weight of the gold nanoparticles can affect the stability and temperature range of the blue phase.
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
L. N. Carenza, G. Gonnella, D. Marenduzzo, G. Negro, E. Orlandini
Summary: This study investigates the phase behavior of quasi-two-dimensional cholesteric liquid crystal shells and discovers novel topological phases that differ from those observed on flat geometries. For spherical shells, finite quasicrystals and amorphous structures are identified, which are made up of mixtures of polygonal tessellations of half-skynnions. For toroidal shells, variations in local curvature lead to the stabilization of heterogeneous phases where cholesteric patterns coexist with hexagonal lattices of half-skyrmions. These findings provide important insights for experimental self-assembling of cholesteric shells.
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chunxin Hu, Mofei Sha, Mengxiao Jia, Bo Zhang, Hongmei Ma, Yubao Sun
Summary: The optimal content ratio of polymer monomers RM257 and C12A in polymer-stabilised blue-phase liquid crystal (PSBPLC) display is 1.225, with a total content of 7.5 wt.%, resulting in uniform polymer network structure, hysteresis effect of 0.84%, and residual birefringence of 0.55%. These research findings are crucial for designing PSBPLC devices.
