Blue phase III widening in CE6-dispersed surface-functionalised CdSe nanoparticles

Abstract

The phase transition behaviour of the chiral liquid crystal CE6 doped with spherical surface-functionalised CdSe nanoparticles has been examined by means of high-resolution adiabatic scanning calorimetry and polarising microscopy. The addition of nanoparticles results in an essentially stabilised blue phase III. The phase diagram is displayed upon heating and cooling and the enthalpy changes involved in the conversion between the blue phases are determined. The dispersion of functionalised nanoparticles is prominent for the stabilisation of blue phase III, which is potentially useful for applications, especially if applied on liquid crystals that exhibit blue phases close to room temperature.

Keywords:

• adiabatic scanning calorimetry
• polarising microscopy
• liquid crystals
• blue phases
• nanoparticles

5. Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Slovenian Research Agency (program P1-0125 and projects J1-9368 and J1-2015). GC acknowledges the support of the FWO (Project ‘AVISCO’ nr. G.0230.07) and the Research Fund of K. U. Leuven for 2009, and the EN FIST Centre of Excellence (Dunajska 156, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia) for finance during 2010. EK acknowledges the Graduate Fellowship Program of N.C.S.R. ‘Demokritos’.