Mesomorphic behaviors of some acrylate liquid crystals and their application for polarizer preparation

ABSTRACT

Two series of acrylate liquid crystals with enantiotropic SmA and SmC phases were synthesised. With increasing the alkoxy chain length, SmC phase was favourable to be formed. The mesophases were confirmed by taking small angle X-ray scattering patterns. Moreover, a diacrylate liquid crystal with an enantiotropic SmA phase was synthesised. Smectic liquid crystal mixtures were prepared using the diacrylate liquid crystal (or a mixture of an acrylate liquid crystal and the diacrylate one) and a dichroic dye. After photopolymerisation at the SmA phase, polymeric polarisers were obtained. The degree of polarisation was increased with increasing the dye concentration and film thickness.

Graphical abstract

KEYWORDS:

• Liquid crystal
• polariser
• acrylate
• photopolymerisation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

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Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Project of Scientific and Technologic Infrastructure of Suzhou [SZS201905] and the Natural Science Foundation of the Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions of China [20KJA430009].