Thermal and Optical Characterization of Polymer-Dispersed Liquid Crystals

Liquid crystals are compounds that display order in the liquid state above the melting temperature and below the mesogenic isotropic temperature. Polymer-dispersed liquid crystals (PDLCs) are composite materials in which liquid crystalline material is dispersed within a polymer matrix to form micron...

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Main Authors: Robert A. Shanks, Daniel Staszczyk
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2012-01-01
Series:International Journal of Polymer Science
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/767581
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author Robert A. Shanks
Daniel Staszczyk
author_facet Robert A. Shanks
Daniel Staszczyk
author_sort Robert A. Shanks
collection DOAJ
description Liquid crystals are compounds that display order in the liquid state above the melting temperature and below the mesogenic isotropic temperature. Polymer-dispersed liquid crystals (PDLCs) are composite materials in which liquid crystalline material is dispersed within a polymer matrix to form micron-sized droplets. The aim was to prepare several cholesteryl esters or alkoxybenzoic acid PDLCs and characterise thermal and optical properties. Differential scanning calorimetry and polarized optical microscopy were employed. The matrix polymer was a one-component UV-curable epoxy-acrylate resin. PDLCs were formed through entropy controlled phase separation resulting from UV-initiated crosslinking. The liquid crystals, both as mesogenic moieties and as dispersed droplets, exhibited various textures according to their molecular order and orientation. These textures formed in constrained regions separated by phase boundaries that occurred at temperatures characteristic of each liquid crystal used. The PDLC phase transitions occurred at temperatures lower than those exhibited by the mesogenic components in the neat state.
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spelling doaj-art-9248a9c0b5e44e45afdd251f09c428262025-02-03T06:48:29ZengWileyInternational Journal of Polymer Science1687-94221687-94302012-01-01201210.1155/2012/767581767581Thermal and Optical Characterization of Polymer-Dispersed Liquid CrystalsRobert A. Shanks0Daniel Staszczyk1School of Applied Sciences, RMIT University, GPO Box 2476, Melbourne, VIC 3001, AustraliaSchool of Applied Sciences, RMIT University, GPO Box 2476, Melbourne, VIC 3001, AustraliaLiquid crystals are compounds that display order in the liquid state above the melting temperature and below the mesogenic isotropic temperature. Polymer-dispersed liquid crystals (PDLCs) are composite materials in which liquid crystalline material is dispersed within a polymer matrix to form micron-sized droplets. The aim was to prepare several cholesteryl esters or alkoxybenzoic acid PDLCs and characterise thermal and optical properties. Differential scanning calorimetry and polarized optical microscopy were employed. The matrix polymer was a one-component UV-curable epoxy-acrylate resin. PDLCs were formed through entropy controlled phase separation resulting from UV-initiated crosslinking. The liquid crystals, both as mesogenic moieties and as dispersed droplets, exhibited various textures according to their molecular order and orientation. These textures formed in constrained regions separated by phase boundaries that occurred at temperatures characteristic of each liquid crystal used. The PDLC phase transitions occurred at temperatures lower than those exhibited by the mesogenic components in the neat state.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/767581
spellingShingle Robert A. Shanks
Daniel Staszczyk
Thermal and Optical Characterization of Polymer-Dispersed Liquid Crystals
International Journal of Polymer Science
title Thermal and Optical Characterization of Polymer-Dispersed Liquid Crystals
title_full Thermal and Optical Characterization of Polymer-Dispersed Liquid Crystals
title_fullStr Thermal and Optical Characterization of Polymer-Dispersed Liquid Crystals
title_full_unstemmed Thermal and Optical Characterization of Polymer-Dispersed Liquid Crystals
title_short Thermal and Optical Characterization of Polymer-Dispersed Liquid Crystals
title_sort thermal and optical characterization of polymer dispersed liquid crystals
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/767581
work_keys_str_mv AT robertashanks thermalandopticalcharacterizationofpolymerdispersedliquidcrystals
AT danielstaszczyk thermalandopticalcharacterizationofpolymerdispersedliquidcrystals