The morphologies of the polymer networks in the polymer network/LC composite of reverse-mode polymer-stabilized cholesteric texture (PSCT) films was observed. The polymer network/LC composite was prepared from photopolymerization of the acrylate monomers, which had rod-like rigid cores in monomer/LC mixture. The effects of the structure of the acrylate monomers on the morphology of polymer network were studied. The acrylate monomer without flexible pacers between the acrylate functional groups and the rigid core formed rice-grain-like polymer network with poor orientation. The acrylate monomer with flexible pacers formed fiber-like polymer network with better orientation. Meanwhile, the effects of morphology of polymer network on the electro-optical property of reverse-mode PSCT films were also investigated.
2007) Electrically induced and thermally erased properties of side-chain liquid crystalline polymer/liquid crystal/chiral dopant composites, Liquid Crystals, 34:8, 949-954,The properties of synthesized side-chain liquid crystalline polymer (SCLCP)/liquid crystal (LC)/chiral dopant composites having a chiral nematic (N*) phase at room temperature were investigated by polarized optical microscopy (POM) and a UV/VIS/NIR spectrophotometer. The composite exhibited a planar texture after it was filled into cells under homogeneous boundary conditions and it was transparent. When an electric field was applied to the composite, a focal conic texture was formed and the composite became light scattering. After the electric field was turned off, the light-scattering state remained stable for some time, i.e. the light-scattering state exhibited a memory effect. The focal conic texture changed into the planar texture when the composite was heated and the composite became transparent again. Therefore, the composite had electrically induced and thermally erased properties. The SCLCP had some influence on the memory effect and on the thermo-electro-optical properties of the composite.
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