Fabrication of Microcapsules for Dye-Doped Polymer-Dispersed Liquid Crystal-Based Smart Windows

Abstract

A dye-doped polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) is an attractive material for application in smart windows. Smart windows using a PDLC can be operated simply and have a high contrast ratio compared to those of other devices that employed photochromic or thermochromic material. However, in conventional dye-doped PDLC methods, dye contamination can cause problems and has a limited degree of commercialization of electric smart windows. Here, we report on an approach to resolve dye-related problems by encapsulating the dye in monodispersed capsules. By encapsulation, a fabricated dye-doped PDLC had a contrast ratio of >120 at 600 nm. This fabrication method of encapsulating the dye in a core-shell structured microcapsule in a dye-doped PDLC device provides a practical platform for dye-doped PDLC-based smart windows.

Dyes as guests in ordered systems: current understanding and future directions

“…[14] Electrically switched guest-host devices have also been suggested for use within applications outside of displays, such as in smart windows using polymerdispersed liquid crystal hosts that enable the transmittance of the windows to be electrically controlled. [15] Incorporating fluorescent dye molecules into these smart windows, and using the windows themselves as waveguides, potentially enables light absorbed by the windows in their absorbing state to be used for solar energy conversion. [16] Combining the optical properties of chiral nematic liquid crystals with the absorption properties of guest dye molecules has also lead to electrically switched laser protection devices being developed.…”

Acrylate-assisted fractal nanostructured polymer dispersed liquid crystal droplet based vibrant colored smart-windows

“…It has been observed that the contrast ratio of a PDLC is improved with the addition of dye. 23,24 When a dye (guest) is added to the LCs (host), it gives rise to a guest-host (G-H) conguration, and it leads to the formation of guest-host PDLCs (GHPDLCs). 25 In such systems, the orientation of dye molecules is controlled by the LCs in an applied electric eld, but the dye molecules in a polymer matrix are not affected by the eld.…”

Redox‐Active Peptide‐Functionalized Quinquethiophene‐Based Electrochromic π‐Gel

“…[39] Stupp et alr eporteds elf-assembly of quinquethiophenesf unctionalizedw ith b-sheet formingp eptide, which formed 1D nanostructure in aqueouss olution. [40] Successfula pplicationso fe lectrochromicd evices (ECD) [41][42][43][44] include smarts unglasses, [45][46] smart-window, [47][48][49] stretchablee lectronic skin, [50] ande lectrochromic displayd evices. [51] Among the varietieso fs mall molecular and polymerico rganic electrochromic materialsu sedi ne lectrochromic devices, oligothiophenesa sw ella s polythiophene derivatives area ni mportant classo fp-conjugated organic material.…”