MOLECULES
·
2023
·Vol. 28
·期 5
·2253
·
IF 4.6
Rui-Juan Xiong,Yun-Xiao Ren,Yong-Feng Cui,Shu-Feng Cai,Wan-Li He,Xiao-Tao Yuan
In this paper, based on high-throughput technology, polymer dispersed liquid crystals (PDLC) composed of pentaerythritol tetra (2-mercaptoacetic acid) (PETMP), trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TMPTA), and polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGD 600) were investigated in detail. A total of 125 PDLC samples with different ratios were quickly prepared using ink-jet printing. Based on the method of machine vision to identify the grayscale level of samples, as far as we know, it is the first time to realize high-throughput detection of the electro-optical performance of PDLC samples, which can quickly screen out the lowest saturation voltage of batch samples. Additionally, we compared the electro-optical test results of manual and high-throughput preparation PDLC samples and discovered that they had very similar electro-optical characteristics and morphologies. This demonstrated the viability of PDLC sample high-throughput preparation and detection, as well as promising application prospects, and significantly increased the efficiency of PDLC sample preparation and detection. The results of this study will contribute to the research and application of PDLC composites in the future.Keywords:high-throughput;polymer-dispersed liquid crystal;saturation voltage;grayscale value
研究领域:
材料科学
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光学工程
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
POLYMER
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2022
·
IF 4.432
Hongbo Lu,Peng Huang,Tanyang Wu,Cuifen Chen,Jianzhou Shi,Miao Xu,Longzhen Qiu,Yunsheng Ding,Jun Zhu
A wavelength-selective, two-stage polymerization of acrylate-thiol for the formation of polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) films is developed. Via this method, the PDLC with microsphere polymer morphology was successfully prepared, which greatly improved the contrast ratio (CR) and adhesion without causing other performance degradation. The change of morphology from the porous to the microsphere structure could be controlled by adjusting the reaction time of the Michael addition reaction. Furthermore, the size and uniformity of the microsphere structure could be controlled by tuning the content of the free radical initiator. This work is expected to provide an effective method to control the microstructure of acrylate-thiol polymers in solution polymerization , and can possibly allow the fabrication of PDLCs with high CR and adhesion, which is of great significance in large, flexible displays, switchable windows, and light valves.
研究领域:
材料科学
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光学工程
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
·
2024
·
IF 13.3
Yinfu Lu,Dongliang Yang,Hong Gao,Xin Du,Yuzhen Zhao,Dong Wang,Zemin He,Zongcheng Miao,Hui Cao,Zhou Yang,Wanli He,Yuzhan Li
Functional soft materials that exhibit different application functions under different stimuli are highly desired for the fabrication of advanced devices with excellent performance. Favorable electro-optical properties (low threshold and saturation voltages, high contrast, etc .) are an important basis for polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) to achieve applications in electric response anti-counterfeiting, smart windows, privacy windows, and so on. In this work, the co-doping strategy of fluorescent dyes and nanoparticles into PDLC was used to improve its electro-optical properties. Noteworthily, the co-doping effectively suppressed contrast degradation compared to doping with fluorescent dyes only. Multifunctional applications of the co-doped PDLC for UV shielding films, architectural smart windows and privacy windows were investigated. The results of uniaxial tensile test and curvature bending test showed that the prepared flexible film had great stability against external forces and harsh environments. The strategy of hiding the QR code in PDLC device was achieved for the first time by the two-step polymerization method, which realized a sensitive electric response anti-counterfeiting mode. By using fluorescent molecules that show different colors under visible and ultraviolet light, enabling anti-counterfeiting encryption of text and numbers. Thus, our developed fluorescent PDLC provides an approach for novel anti-counterfeiting modes and multifunctional applications of films.
研究领域:
材料科学
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光学工程
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
Crystals
·
2021
·Vol. 11
·期 6
·576
·
IF 2.589
Gang Chen,Wei Hu,Le Zhou,Huimin Zhang,Ling Wang,Cuihong Zhang,Jian Sun,Lanying Zhang,Xiaotao Yuan,Siquan Zhu
Polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) films were prepared by thermal polymerization-induced phase separation in epoxy/polymercaptan/liquid crystal (LC)/accelerator mixtures. The effects of the concentration of LC and accelerator, the curing temperature, and the structure of epoxy monomer on the electro-optical (E-O) properties and adhesion strength of the PDLC films were studied systematically via E-O, peel strength, DSC, IR, and gel measurements. It showed that different polymer structures and the properties of the polymer can be obtained by changing the compositions and the curing temperature, which had significant impacts on the E-O properties of the PDLC films. Meanwhile, the polymer matrix with high glass-transition temperature (Tg) and small pore size will improve the adhesion strength of the PDLC film, and these kinds of epoxy-polymercaptan-based PDLC films have better performance than traditional acrylate-based PDLC in the aspect of the adhesion strength. This work may provide some inspiration in preparing epoxy-polymercaptan-based PDLC films, which both have excellent E-O performance and good adhesion strength, towards roll-to-roll processes and large-scale flexible applications.Keywords:polymer dispersed liquid crystal;polymer network morphologies;electro-optical properties;adhesion strength
研究领域:
材料科学
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光学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Materials
·
2025
·Vol. 18
·期 7
·1406
·
IF 3.2
Yunxiao Ren,Wei Hu
Polymer-dispersed liquid crystals (PDLCs) are composite materials, in which LCs are dispersed in the form of microdroplets in a polymer matrix. As a composite material, its electro-optical properties are affected by many factors such as molecular structure, composition, and the microstructure of the LCs and polymers. In this work, PDLC films were prepared based on the thiol-ene click reaction, and effects of refractive indexes of polymers and LCs on their electro-optical properties were studied. The refractive indexes of the polymer matrix are adjusted by controlling the content of sulfur element, and those of the LCs are adjusted by adding multi-fluorinated LCs with high refractive index. By regulating the refractive indexes of the polymer matrix and LCs, the maximum transmittance of the film is raised and the viewing angle of the film is also extended. This work could afford some ideas for the directional regulation of the viewing angles and the electro-optical properties of the PDLC film.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
光学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
LIQUID CRYSTALS
·
2022
·
IF 2.676
Zemin He,Ping Yu,Yuzhen Zhao,Qing Yang,Yang Zhao,Huimin Zhang,Shuai Zi,Zongcheng Miao,Haiquan Zhang,Wenbo Shen
In this paper, we report a simple and effective technique to improve the electro-optical performance of polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) films via the implantation of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) microstructure into the polymer matrix. The measurement results of the electro-optical properties indicated that the electro-optical performances of PDLC films have been regulated successfully via the implantation of POSS microstructure into the polymer matrix. SEM results suggested that the size of polymer meshes was broadened with the increase in the content of POSS microstructure, while the static water contact angles of the polymers increased after the implantation of POSS microstructure. Because of the lower surface energy as well as the increased steric repulsions between liquid crystal molecules and polymer surfaces, the anchoring effect of the polymer matrix containing POSS microstructure was concluded to be weakened, which was the dominant factor in achieving the dramatic regulation effect of the electro-optical properties of the PDLC films. This work could provide a creative approach for the fabrication of low voltage-driven PDLC films for their practical applications.
研究领域:
材料科学
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光学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE
·
2024
·Vol. 59
·期 33
·15714-15726
·
IF 3.5
Wu Jing,Li Jia,Huang Jinhua,Song Weijie,Tan Ruiqin
Heat management and color appearance are the key issues for the application of smart windows. Herein, a vibrant colored energy-saving polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) film has been designed by combining dye-doping and the application of a heat shielding electrode. The LC droplet size could be varied by tuning the content of the dye. PDLC films featuring a low Disperse Orange 25 Azo dye concentration (0.06%) achieving an impressive contrast ratio of up to 101.5 with the transmittance reaching 79.17% at on state. Furthermore, indium tin oxide (ITO) and aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) were chosen as the conductive layer materials, and the heat shielding properties of ITO and AZO/Ag/ITO (AAI) films were applied to PDLC devices and comparatively investigated. The AAI-based devices exhibited temperature reductions of 2 °C and 4 °C compared to the ITO-based devices at off and on states, respectively. This highlights the remarkable heat shielding performance and energy-saving capability of AAI-PDLC devices, as well as good flexibility and cycle stability. These AAI-based colored PDLC films exhibit substantial potential for smart window applications especially in buildings and automotive industry. Graphical Abstract
研究领域:
材料科学
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能源技术
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光学工程
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
LIQUID CRYSTALS
·
2024
·
IF 2.4
Hongbo Lu,Han Wang,Hao Bai,Yumeng Wang,Longzhen Qiu,Jun Zhu,Miao Xu
An optimised approach is presented in this study for the fabrication of a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) device with a low driving voltage and high contrast ratio (CR). This method involves a two-step process utilising Michael addition and radical polymerisation, employing a reaction-selective orthogonal photoinitiated system. The impact of incorporating low surface energy monomers on PDLC performance is thoroughly investigated, and the driving voltage is further reduced through selective reaction-induced interface modification. The polymer morphology can be finely tuned by adjusting the thiol content, leading to various PDLC properties. This paper introduces a novel surface modification technique within the polymer-liquid crystal system, presenting a fresh perspective on regulating PDLC performance. By choosing monomer structures, the sequence of reactions can be precisely controlled, allowing for the introduction of structural units with distinct functionalities at the polymer interface. This approach facilitates interfacial functionalization and enables the design of multi-layer structures for synthetic polymers, realising innovative functionalities.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
化学工程
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
·
2024
·Vol. 26
·期 9
·7388-7397
·
IF 2.9
Meina Yu,Xian He,Jing Qin,Yongchuan Hu,Qian Wang,Cheng Zou,Huiyun Wei,Xiao Wang,Yanzi Gao,Huai Yang
As a type of intelligent dimming film, polymer-dispersed liquid crystals (PDLCs) have been widely applied in various fields, such as smart windows, light shutters and displays. The properties of PDLCs are greatly influenced by the structure of the raw materials. In this work, the impact of crosslinking agents with different cyclic or chain groups was investigated by comparing the electro-optical performance and the morphology of the polymer matrix in the as-made PDLC films. It was found that the incorporation of large steric groups into the crosslinking agents can alter the morphology of the polymer matrix and thus affect the electro-optical properties. However, the impact is distinct when the spatial structure or rigidity is different. Besides, a combination of crosslinking agents with flexible alkyl-chain structures and steric structures can further reduce the threshold voltage while keeping the high contrast ratio. After detailed comparison, an optimized combination of BDDA/TCDDA in a weight ratio of 1/1 is selected to demonstrate the enhanced properties of the as-constructed film with a thickness of 20 μm. It exhibits low threshold voltage (8.2 V), low saturation voltage (21.2 V) and a high contrast ratio (203) simultaneously. This research offers an optimizing method from the crosslinking agent perspective and is anticipated to promote the further improvement of the PDLC's performance.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
光学工程
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
·
2021
·
IF 8.067
Ying Li,Changdan Gong,Chenggong Li,Kunpeng Ruan,Chao Liu,Huan Liu,Junwei Gu
Polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) films comprising polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and liquid crystal monomer (LCM) were successfully obtained by the method of solution casting & thermal compressing. LCM was distributed orderly in PVA matrix by hydrogen bond interaction, to form PVA-LCM interpenetrating-layered networks. When the mass fraction of LCM was up to 35 wt%, the corresponding in-plane thermal conductivity coefficient ( λ // ) of PDLC film was significantly increased to 1.41 W m −1 K −1 , about 10.8 times that of neat PVA (0.13 W m −1 K −1 ). High intrinsic λ // values of PDLC films were mainly attributed to the formed microscopic-ordered structures from ordered stacking of LCM, ordered arrangement of PVA chains, and their hydrogen bond interaction. This work would offer a new way to design and prepare novel intrinsic high thermal conductive polymers.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
高分子化学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
LIQUID CRYSTALS
·
2020
·
IF 2.908
Li Zhang,Yawen Liu,Zhiqing Shi,Taoyu He,Xinjian Gong,Pengfei Geng,Zhenwei Gao,Yinghan Wang
Polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) films containing a series of monomers with different alkyl chain lengths were prepared by nucleophile-initiated thiol-ene click reaction. The effect of alkyl chain length of monomers, dye and temperature on electro-optical properties of PDLC films was investigated. It was found that the alkyl chain length and polymerisation rate of monomers together determine the size of liquid crystal (LC) droplets, thus affecting the electro-optical properties of PDLC. In addition, the type and content of dyes could be optimised to obtain PDLC materials with better comprehensive properties for display.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
光学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
LIQUID CRYSTALS
·
2017
·
IF 2.661
Zhiqing Shi,Yu Guan,Fei Wang,Yuliang Zhang,Feifei Deng,Yawei Liu,Yinghan Wang
Nucleophile-initiated thiol-ene click reaction was employed to prepare polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) films initiated by 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP). The PDLC films were prepared in different temperature. It is found that the reaction temperature has a big influence on the electro-optical properties of PDLC films and 60°C is the optimal temperature to fabricate PDLC film which has high ON state transmittance (Ton) and low OFF state transmittance (Toff). UV-Visible spectrophotometer, scanning electron microscopy and polarised optical microscope were employed to explore the obtained PDLC films. Nucleophile-initiated thiol-ene click reaction, without UV-light, probably provides a new pathway to prepare PDLC films.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
化学工程
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
危险品化学品经营许可证（带存储）