Polymer-Dispersed Liquid Crystals and Their Applications
A special issue of Crystals (ISSN 2073-4352). This special issue belongs to the section "Liquid Crystals".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 June 2022) | Viewed by 385
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Polymer-dispersed liquid crystals (PDLCs) are the result of the optimization of photopolymer fabrication techniques. These materials exhibit an outstanding versatility, and new possibilities can be exploited by including dispersed liquid crystal (LC) molecules into the classic formulations. The orientation of the liquid crystal molecules can be arranged by the application of an external electric field, thus changing the optical properties of the whole device, mainly by modulating the refractive index of the LC to match or mismatch that of the surrounding medium. This switchable feature of the PDLCs makes them very attractive for a great number of applications.
There is also a great versatility in the processes for the fabrication of polymer-dispersed liquid crystals, depending on the required properties of the desired final device. The two main methods of preparation are encapsulation, mixing liquid crystals with a polymer dissolved in water; and phase separation, where the liquid crystals are formed by the separation of the two phases.
Among well-known applications of polymer-dispersed liquid crystals we can find electrically controlled blinds, smart glasses or switchable glasses with optical attenuators, etc. Further, their favorable properties lead to many areas of research of growing interest where polymer-dispersed liquid crystals can play an essential role, such as their application to the fabrication of tunable holographically recorded see-through glasses for augmented reality.
This Special Issue of Crystals, entitled “Polymer-Dispersed Liquid Crystals and Their Applications” welcomes articles addressing, among others, the deployment of new techniques the fabrication of polymer-dispersed liquid crystals and the report of new applications or improvements in applications of polymer-dispersed liquid crystals.
Prof. Dr. Cristian Neipp López
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- polymers
- liquid crystals
- switchable devices
- diffractive elements
- optical elements
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