A study on electro-optical properties of polymer dispersed liquid crystal films doped with barium titanate nanoparticles prepared by nucleophile-initiated thiol-ene click reaction

ABSTRACT

Polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) films doped with barium titanate (BTO) nanoparticles were prepared by nucleophile-initiated thiol-ene click reaction. The effects of BTO content and reaction temperature on the electro-optical properties of PDLC were explored. It is found that the size of liquid crystal droplets is bigger when the amount of BTO increases. As the BTO content increases, the transmittance first rises and then falls, while the voltage that drives the liquid crystal orientation first drops and then rises. The electro-optical properties of PDLC doped with BTO show a similar changing trend with the change of reaction temperature. However, when the reaction temperature becomes higher, the influence of BTO on the electro-optical properties of PDLC becomes greater. Doping BTO helps to obtain PDLC films with good electro-optical properties.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS:

• PDLC
• barium titanate nanoparticles
• reaction temperature
• electro-optical properties

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.