Enhancing the electro-optic response of polymer stabilised cholesteric liquid crystals with ionic dopants

ABSTRACT

The electro-optic response of polymer stabilised cholesteric liquid crystals can manifest as switching, tuning, or bandwidth broadening. The electro-optic response of these composites is attributed to the delocalisation of the ion-containing, structurally chiral polymer stabilising network to a DC bias. Upon removal of the electric field, the original reflective properties return within seconds. Prior reports have hypothesized that the polymer network trap ionic impurities during polymerization. Here, we explore this hypothesis by introducing ionic liquids as well as copolymerizing ionic monomers into the polymer network. This work further elucidates the contribution of ionic species to the electrochemical properties of the composite material as well as the associated impact on electro-optic performance.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS:

• Electrochromism
• cholesteric liquid crystals
• polymer stabilisation
• optical filter

Acknowledgement

B.P.R. also acknowledges partial fellowship support via the Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) fellowship through the Department of Education (DOE).

Disclosure statement

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

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/02678292.2024.2311278.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research [AFOSR, FA9550-20-1-0311].