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Updated: Sep 1, 2025
An Electrochemical Cholesteric Liquid Crystalline Device for Quick and Low-Voltage Color Modulation
Published on: February 27, 2019
Light Intensity-Selective Photopolymerization and Photoisomerization for Creating Colorful Polymer-Stabilized
Runwei Yu1, Yu Cao1, Kai Chen1
1State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Novel Functional Polymeric Materials, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Design and Application, Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Novel Functional Polymeric Materials, Key Laboratory of Polymeric Materials Design and Synthesis for Biomedical Function, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China.
Abstract:
Polymer-stabilized cholesteric liquid crystal (PSCLC) films have been widely studied for their application as sensors, polarizers, and reflective windows. However, the preparation of programmable and colorful patterns based on the structural color is still challenging. Herein, the photochromic CLC mixtures were prepared by adding a photoisomerizable chiral additive (CA) and a photoinitiator in the nematic liquid crystal LC242. Under UV irradiation with weak intensity, photoisomerization of the CA was carried out and photopolymerization was suppressed by oxygen inhibition. With extending the irradiation time, the helical pitch of the CLC film increased and the selective Bragg reflection band tended to redshift. Under strong UV irradiation, oxygen inhibition was overcome and photopolymerization dominates the reaction. Therefore, the colorful-patterned PSCLC films were able to be prepared using masks. The results shown here not only give us a better understanding of the effect of oxygen inhibition but also lay the foundations for practical applications such as decoration and optical devices.
