Electro-Optical and Morphological Characterization of Electron Beam Cured Liquid Crystal-Polymer Composite Materials

Abstract

Polymer dispersed liquid crystals (PDLCs) are promising new materials for electro-optic applications such as switchable windows and flexible displays. Thin films were prepared via a polymerization induced phase separation process using electron beam radiation. The PDLC material was obtained from a blend of a eutectic nematic liquid crystal mixture E7 and a polyester acrylate based polymer as a precursor of the matrix The electro-optic behavior of the obtained composite material has been examined To understand the optical response of these materials, the relationship between the electro-optic properties and the morphology of the PDLC films has been investigated. The size, size distribution, shape, volumetric number density and spatial distribution of droplets are important factors influencing the electro-optic performance. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to characterize quantitatively PDLC film morphology