A novel light diffuser based on the combined morphology of polymer networks and polymer balls in a polymer dispersed liquid crystals film.

A novel light diffuser based on a thermally cured polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) film was facilely fabricated by the thermal curing of epoxy monomers with thiols and polyamine (PA) in a composite solution of monomers and liquid crystals (LCs) sandwiched by two clean polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates. Varied amounts of LCs, diluent effects of epoxy resins and thiols and different curing temperatures have been investigated in the preparation of the films, and the optical properties (total transmittance and transmittance haze) and the light diffusing abilities of these films were also studied. As the microstructures of the polymers in the films were analysed using light scattering theory, it was revealed that the total transmittance of the novel light diffuser, with a combined polymer morphology of polymer networks and polymer balls, can reach 93% by simultaneously possessing a high transmittance haze (95%).

A Study on the Electro-Optical Properties of Thiol-Ene Polymer Dispersed Cholesteric Liquid Crystal (PDChLC) Films.

In this study, a polymer dispersed cholesteric liquid crystal (PDChLC) film obtained via a one-step fabrication technique based on photopolymerization of a thiol-acrylate reaction system was prepared and characterized for the first time. The effects of the chiral dopant, the influence of thiol monomer functionality and content on the morphology and subsequent performance of the PDChLC films were systematically investigated. It was demonstrated that the addition of a small amount of chiral dopant slightly increased the driving voltage, but decreased the off-state transmittance significantly.

Facile synthesis of Nafion-stabilized iridium nanoparticles and their direct use for fuel cells and water electrolyzers.

Using a quite small but suitable amount of Nafion as stabilizer, iridium colloids with well controlled particle size were synthesized and directly used for fuel cells or water electrolyzers without further removal or addition of Nafion, meanwhile, a strategy for fabrication of supported catalyst with high utilization was also proposed.