Low density and fast response silica coated with ionic liquid polymer nanoparticles towards electrophoretic displays

In this paper, silica nanoparticles and silica coated with ionic liquid polymer nanoparticles (PIL/SiO 2 ) were prepared. They are both monodisperse and smooth spheres, and also own suitable densities and excellent chromaticity. Porous silica benefits their low density, which decreases the gravitational sedimentation and avails electrophoretic mobility. The ionic liquid polymer coating of PIL/SiO 2 not only favors hydrophobicity and dispersity stability, but also helps the enrichment of trace polar impurities around the particles, which makes for ionization effect and electrophoretic mobility. The PIL/SiO 2 show greatly improved hydrophobicity and electrophoretic mobility. The PIL/SiO 2 in the fabricated EPD prototype with thickness of 0.2   mm shows response time of 155   ms, much faster than the silica nanoparticles, TiO 2 previously reported and commercial EPDs.