Reviews in Liquid Crystals

A special issue of Crystals (ISSN 2073-4352). This special issue belongs to the section "Liquid Crystals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 November 2024 | Viewed by 7861

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Electronic, Computer Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
Interests: liquid crystals; electrooptics; displays; photonics; photoalignment; photopatterning
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Medical Physics and Informatics, Bashkir State Medical University, Ufa, Russia
Interests: condensed matter physics; liquid crystals; electrooptics; photoalignment

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The study of liquid crystals (LCs), i.e., soft matter encompassing optical birefringence, nonlocality, anisotropy, and all-optical (as well as electro-optic, magneto-optic, and thermo-optic) responses, has been the subject of extensive experimental and theoretical investigation. These studies encompass light beams in liquid crystals, with applications including imaging, modulation, signal processing, display architectures, lasers, sensors, etc. Liquid crystals are in the era of scientific renaissance, both fundamentally and technologically, and they have become a pervasive feature of everyday life. The exploration of these molecular materials is still a challenge since the rapid development of display technology demands new LC materials which possess as a wide range of properties as possible. The phase structures in these materials constitute challenging research problems. Liquid crystal display technology has integrated itself into many facets of our daily lives. They have been truly instrumental in the progression and development of electronic devices.

The development and application of materials with well-defined molecular and bulk properties are becoming increasingly important for contemporary technologies. The ability to simulate new LC materials with properties and functions far beyond our current reach could lead to meso/nanoscale electronic and mechanical devices that far surpass our current technological capabilities.

We invite scholars to submit review articles on the current trends and future perspectives of liquid crystal research. This Topic Collection addresses both basic and applied problems, focusing on the molecular design, simulation, synthesis, alignment, and characterization of liquid crystal materials. Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Computer-aided molecular design;
  • Synthesis and characterization;
  • The alignment of liquid crystals;
  • Macroscopic and microscopic properties;
  • Phase structure and phase transitions;
  • Electro- and thermooptical effects;
  • Display device architecture;
  • Polymeric and biological liquid crystals;
  • The theory of liquid crystals;
  • Ferroelectric and antiferroelectric liquid crystals.

Prof. Dr. Vladimir Chigrinov
Dr. Aleksey Kudreyko
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Crystals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • computer-aided molecular design
  • synthesis and characterization
  • the alignment of liquid crystals
  • macroscopic and microscopic properties
  • phase structure and phase transitions
  • electro- and thermooptical effects
  • display device architecture
  • polymeric and biological liquid crystals
  • the theory of liquid crystals
  • ferroelectric and antiferroelectric liquid crystals

Published Papers (4 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Review

15 pages, 1566 KiB  
Review
Advancements in The Cross-Linking and Morphology of Liquid Crystals
by Weronika Zając, Maciej Kisiel and Beata Mossety-Leszczak
Crystals 2024, 14(5), 440; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst14050440 - 5 May 2024
Viewed by 1352
Abstract
The liquid crystal state (LC) in polymer chemistry is a topic discussed in varied materials research. The anisotropic properties typical of these compounds are mostly the result of the presence of mesogens in the structure of liquid crystals. This article traces the development [...] Read more.
The liquid crystal state (LC) in polymer chemistry is a topic discussed in varied materials research. The anisotropic properties typical of these compounds are mostly the result of the presence of mesogens in the structure of liquid crystals. This article traces the development of liquid crystal science, focusing on liquid crystal epoxy resins (LCERs) and emphasizing the crucial role of mesogens and their diverse effect on the materials. It also highlights the importance of understanding the morphology of LC polymers, explaining their profound impact on material properties and performance. It explores the cross-linking process of liquid crystal resins and composites, describing how changes in structural factors affect material structure. The article also provides information about hardeners and their influence on the cross-linked structure. Various nanofillers were also discussed, elucidating their impact on the resulting composites. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reviews in Liquid Crystals)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

31 pages, 21839 KiB  
Review
Optimizing Tunable LC Devices with Twisted Light
by José M. Otón, Javier Pereiro-García, Xabier Quintana, Manuel Caño-García, Eva Otón and Morten A. Geday
Crystals 2024, 14(1), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst14010016 - 24 Dec 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1724
Abstract
Tunable circular devices made of liquid crystals or other materials, like lenses, axicons, or phase plates, are often constrained by limitations in size, tunability, power, and other parameters. These constraints restrict their use and limit their applicability. In this review, a thorough study [...] Read more.
Tunable circular devices made of liquid crystals or other materials, like lenses, axicons, or phase plates, are often constrained by limitations in size, tunability, power, and other parameters. These constraints restrict their use and limit their applicability. In this review, a thorough study of the use of light’s orbital angular momentum in the manufacturing of liquid crystal (LC) devices is presented. Twisted light fosters the simultaneous optimization of most critical parameters. Experimental demonstrations of the unmatched performance of tunable LC lenses, axicons, and other elements in parameters such as lens diameter (>1″), power and tunability (>±6 diopters), fill factor (>98%), and time response have been achieved by reversible vortex generation created by azimuthal phase delay. This phase delay can eventually be removed within the optical system so that lens performance is not affected. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reviews in Liquid Crystals)
Show Figures

Figure 1

28 pages, 5270 KiB  
Review
Liquid Crystals for Luminescent Concentrators: A Review
by Atchutananda Surampudi, Guanxiong Zhang, Ravinder Singh, Grahame Faulkner, Dominic C. O’Brien, Martin J. Booth and Stephen M. Morris
Crystals 2023, 13(12), 1615; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst13121615 - 22 Nov 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1794
Abstract
Luminescent optical concentrators are thin films containing fluorescent dyes that enable light collection over a wide field of view without the need to track the path of the Sun. However, a disadvantage when using luminescent concentrators is that the performance is often impeded [...] Read more.
Luminescent optical concentrators are thin films containing fluorescent dyes that enable light collection over a wide field of view without the need to track the path of the Sun. However, a disadvantage when using luminescent concentrators is that the performance is often impeded by surface losses through these films. Liquid-crystal (LC) hosts are attractive for luminescent concentrators, as they impart, at the very least, an orientational ordering to the transition dipole moment of the dyes dispersed within these films. This enables the directivity of both the absorption and emission and can reduce surface losses by, for example, adopting the homeotropic alignment of the LC director. This article reviews the developments and applications of LCs to luminescent optical concentrators and describes the strategies that have been introduced to further combat losses by decoupling the absorption and emission processes through Förster energy transfer, the approaches employed to enhance the chemical structures of the dyes, and the methods of using alternative LC phases and external configurations. The review presents a comprehensive summary of the material combinations and the techniques that have been considered in the development of LC-based concentrator films and concludes with a discussion about the future perspectives for these exciting optical concentrators. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reviews in Liquid Crystals)
Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 3486 KiB  
Review
Photoaligned Liquid Crystalline Structures for Photonic Applications
by Aleksey Kudreyko, Vladimir Chigrinov, Gurumurthy Hegde and Denis Chausov
Crystals 2023, 13(6), 965; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst13060965 - 17 Jun 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2029
Abstract
With the advancement of information display technologies, research on liquid crystals is undergoing a tremendous shift to photonic devices. For example, devices and configurations based on liquid crystal materials are being developed for various applications, such as spectroscopy, imaging, and fiber optics. One [...] Read more.
With the advancement of information display technologies, research on liquid crystals is undergoing a tremendous shift to photonic devices. For example, devices and configurations based on liquid crystal materials are being developed for various applications, such as spectroscopy, imaging, and fiber optics. One of the problems behind the development of photonic devices lies in the preparation of patterned surfaces that can provide high resolution. Among all liquid crystal alignment techniques, photoalignment represents a promising non-contact method for the fabrication of patterned surfaces. In this review, we discuss the original research findings on electro-optic effects, which were mainly achieved at the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the collaborating research laboratories. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reviews in Liquid Crystals)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop