Polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) and polymer-stabilized liquid crystal (PSLC) systems are the two primary distinct systems in the field of liquid crystal (LC) technology, and they are differentiated by their unique microstructures. Here, we present a novel coexistent system of polymer-dispersed and polymer-stabilized liquid crystals (PD&SLCs), which forms a homeotropically aligned polymer network (HAPN) within the LC droplets after a microphase separation between the LC and polymer matrix and combines the advantages of both the PDLC and PSLC systems. Then, we prepare a novel thermally light-transmittance-controllable (TLTC) film from the PD&SLC system, where the transmittance can be reversibly changed through thermal control from a transparent to a light-scattering state. The film also combines the advantageous features of flexibility and a potential for large-scale manufacturing, and it shows significant promise in future applications from smart windows to temperature sensors.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsami.6b13366 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
A Multi-Functional Molecule for Highly Durable, Bending-Resistant, Low-Voltage Driving PSLC Films toward Smart Windows With Radiative Cooling.
Small
December 2024
Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Materials Genome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Materials and Technology, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, China.
Polymer-stabilized liquid crystals (PSLCs) are widely used in smart windows, light modulators, and dimmed glass. However, their low mechanical strength, unsatisfactory electro-optical properties, and poor durability limit their large-scale application. In this study, a PSLC film with outstanding performance is prepared by incorporating a multifunctional molecule into a fine-sculptured liquid crystal/polymer composite.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDual-sided transparent display enabled by polymer stabilized liquid crystals for augmented reality.
Nat Commun
November 2024
Electronics Research Department, Toyota Research Institute of North America, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
In the past decade, display technology has been reimagined to meet the needs of the virtual world. By mapping information onto a scene through a transparent display, users can simultaneously visualize both the real world and layers of virtual elements. However, advances in augmented reality technology have primarily focused on wearable gear or personal devices.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFElectro-Optic Kerr Response in Optically Isotropic Liquid Crystal Phases.
Materials (Basel)
October 2024
Institute of Molecular Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, M. Smoluchowskiego 17, 60-179 Poznań, Poland.
The results of an experimental investigation of the temperature and wavelength dependence of the Kerr constant () of mixtures with an increasing amount of chiral dopant in an isotropic liquid crystal phase are reported. The material was composed of a nematic liquid crystal (5CB) and a chiral dopant (CE2), which formed non-polymer-stabilized liquid crystalline blue phases with an exceptionally large value of ∼2 × 10 mV. The measurements were performed on liquid and blue phases at several concentrations covering a range of temperatures and using three wavelengths: 532 nm, 589 nm and 633 nm.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOrganic-Inorganic Hybrid Silica Film with a TGBA* Structure.
Chemistry
December 2024
State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Novel Functional Polymeric Materials, Suzhou Key Laboratory of Novel Semiconductor-Optoelectronics Materials and Devices, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China.
Twisted grain boundary (TGB) phases exhibit highly frustrated and complex liquid crystal structures, and have attracted enormous interest because of their unique internal structure, textures and properties. However, among the few real concerns related to these interesting structures, applying them to prepare polymer-stabilized colored liquid crystal films has been challenging. Herein, the organic-inorganic hybrid silica (OIHS) films with a TGBA* structure were prepared using two organosilanes and one chiral additive under an acidic condition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFReverse Mode Polymer Stabilized Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Flexible Films with Excellent Bending Resistance.
Molecules
September 2024
School of Artificial Intelligence, Optics and Electronics (IOPEN), Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China.
The reverse-mode smart windows, which usually fabricated by polymer stabilized liquid crystal (PSLC), are more practical for scenarios where high transparency is a priority for most of the time. However, the polymer stabilized cholesteric liquid crystal (PSCLC) film exhibits poor spacing stability due to the mobility of CLC molecules during the bending deformation. In this work, a reverse-mode PSCLC flexible film with excellent bending resistance was fabricated by the construction of polymer spacer columns.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!