Electrical and Optical Studies of Hydrogen Bonded Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals Dispersed with MWCNT

Abstract

Two hydrogen bonded ferroelectric liquid crystals (HBFLC) are dispersed with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) for achieving better thermal and electrical performance. Interesting feature of the present communication is the enhancement in the enthalpy value pertaining to isotropic-nematic transition in MWCNT doped liquid crystals compare to its pure counter parts. Dielectric relaxations studies are carried out in the pure and the MWCNT doped systems. It is observed that doping of MWCNT elevated the activation energies considerably. Optical shuttering action in one of the complex dispersed with MWCNT are discussed.

Keywords:

• Activation energy
• carbon nanotubes
• hydrogen bonded liquid crystals
• nematic

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the financial support rendered by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Department of Science and Technology (DST), and Defence Research Development Organization (DRDO), New Delhi. Infrastructural support provided by Bannari Amman Institute of Technology is gratefully acknowledged.