Preparation of reverse mode polymer dispersion liquid crystals with vertically oriented layers and the electro-optical properties

ABSTRACT

The reverse-mode polymer dispersed liquid crystals (re-mode PDLC) are feasible to be prepared by polyimide vertically oriented layers. The indium tin oxide (ITO) glass coated with polyimide-oriented layer was prepared by centrifugal spin coating and high temperature curing, and the re-mode PDLC film was prepared by polymerisation-induced phase separation method. After that the effects of diluent, negative liquid crystal and gadolinium oxide (Gd₂O₃) nanoparticle content on the morphology and electro-optical properties of re-mode PDLC were comprehensively investigated. The results show that the re-mode PDLC with appropriate diluent and negative liquid crystal content has stable contrast ratio and driving voltage, and the re-mode PDLC samples doped with Gd₂O₃ nanoparticles can further increase the contrast ratio to improve the problem of low contrast of ordinary re-mode PDLC samples. In the thermal ageing life test, the driving voltage ageing degree of the nanoparticle-doped re-mode PDLC samples can be stabilised, which has some significance for use of re-mode PDLC.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS:

• Vertically oriented layers
• reverse-mode polymer dispersed liquid crystal
• gadolinium oxide nanoparticle
• electro-optical properties
• thermal ageing

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (2022YFB3603703), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 52173263), the Qinchuangyuan High-level Talent Project of Shaanxi (No. QCYRCXM-2022-219) and the Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Province, China (No. 2108085J11). The authors also thanks Dr. Yuzhen Zhao, Dr. Zemin He and Dr. Huimin Zhang of Xijing University for their help in the experimental operation involved in this work.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [No. 52173263]; Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Province, China [No. 2108085J11]; National Key Research and Development Program of China [No. 2022YFB3603703]; Qinchuangyuan High-level Talent Project of Shaanxi [No. QCYRCXM-2022-219].