Dielectric and electro-optic behaviour of nematic-SWCNT nanocomposites under applied bias field

ABSTRACT

We have prepared the composites of a room temperature Nematic Liquid Crystals and Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes. Effect of dispersion of nanotubes on various dielectric and electro-optic parameters on host nematic liquid crystals were investigated. The changes in dielectric and electro-optic parameters (viz: relative permittivity, dielectric anisotropy, switching threshold voltage and splay elastic constant) were observed for composite systems. The composites filled in the cells have been probed under applied bias electric field and it enhanced the nematic ordering of the liquid crystal molecules in the composites which results overall improvement of dielectric and electro-optic parameters of the prepared composites.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS:

• Liquid crystals
• nematic liquid crystals
• single-walled carbon nanotubes
• LC-nanotube composites
• electro-optic parameters
• dielectric parameters

Acknowledgements

One of us (MBP) thanks Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), DST, Govt. of India, for financially supporting vide project no. FTP/PS-60/2008. Deepa Singh thanks the National Academy of Science India (NASI) and DST, Govt. of India, for financially supporting vide project no. NASI/SoRF-I/2014–15/44 and UGC for a research fellowship.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.