A Study on the Morphology and Electro-optic Properties of Liquid Crystal-Polymer Composite Films

Abstract We have studied the relationship between the morphology and the electro-optic properties of liquid crystal-polymer composite (LCPC) materials. The materials consist of the liquid crystal (80° by weight) and the polymerizable mixture (20° by weight) composed of the monofunctional monomer, the oligomer, and the multifunctional acryl monomer. The results show that the electro-optic properties such as the driving voltage and the transmittance depend strongly on the polymer species used. When the solubility between the liquid crystal and the growing polymers formed during the polymerization process is low and the speed of phase separation is fast, the morphology shows a ‚Network’ type, the liquid crystal exhibits a continuous phase through the sample, and such a film scatters light strongly in the off state. The maximum transmittance in the on state depends primarily on the polymer morphology and secondly on the solubility between the polymers and the liquid crystal in the ‚Network’ type LCPC film. Th...