Thermochromic Fibers via Electrospinning

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Science
• Liquid Crystals

Background:

• Cholesteryl ester liquid crystals possess thermochromic properties due to their twisted nematic phase.
• Developing functional fibers with tunable optical properties is an active area of research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To formulate ternary mixtures of cholesteryl esters for thermochromic behavior.
• To incorporate these liquid crystal (LC) formulations into electrospun fibers.
• To compare blend and coaxial electrospinning methods for LC incorporation.

Main Methods:

• Formulation of ternary mixtures using cholesteryl benzoate, cholesteryl pelargonate, and cholesteryl oleyl carbonate.
• Incorporation of LC formulations into polymer solutions for electrospinning.
• Comparison of blend electrospinning and coaxial electrospinning techniques.
• Characterization of fiber morphology, LC content, and thermochromic properties.

Main Results:

• Blend electrospinning showed intermolecular interactions aiding fiber formation and suppressing bead formation.
• Coaxial electrospinning yielded higher production rates and LC content but larger fiber diameter variations.
• Crucially, coaxial electrospinning with LC in the core maintained the liquid crystal's thermochromic properties.

Conclusions:

• Electrospinning is a viable method for creating thermochromic liquid crystal fibers.
• Coaxial electrospinning is superior for preserving LC thermochromic properties in fibers.
• This work presents a proof-of-concept for advanced functional fiber development.