Study of polymer-stabilised blue phase liquid crystal on a single substrate

ABSTRACT

One outstanding feature of the polymer-stabilised blue phase (PSBP) is that it is unnecessary to form an alignment film, which requires a high-temperature baking process. Therefore, PSBPs may enable flexible liquid crystal displays (LCDs) on plastic substrates. In this study, polymer stabilisation of a blue phase (BP) on a single substrate was performed without using a conventional sandwich-type cell, and the electro-optical properties are demonstrated to be similar to those of a sandwich-type PSBP LCD cell. It was experimentally shown that the oxygen which inhibits radical polymerisation is required to be excluded in order to complete the polymer stabilisation in blue phase.

Graphical Abstract

KEYWORDS:

• Polymer stabilised blue phase
• single substrate
• liquid crystal display
• in-plane electric field

Acknowledgement

We sincerely thank JNC Petrochem. Co. and DIC Co. for providing the LC and reactive mesogen materials.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) [grant number 25390053].