Heterogeneous Microcomposite Materials Based on Porous Matrices and Liquid Crystals

Heterogeneous microcomposite materials based on porous matrices with randomly oriented, interconnected pores (porous glasses with average pore sizes of 100 A and 1000 A) and parallel cylindrical pores (Anopore membranes with pore diameters of 200 A and 2000 A) impregnated with liquid crystals (LC) were investigated by dynamic light scattering and dielectric spectroscopy. The physical properties of confined LC are very different from that of the bulk. One of the new properties among others observed for LC confined in porous matrices is the slow relaxational process which does not exist in the bulk LC and a wide spectrum of relaxation times (10−8 - 10)s which were established in both dynamic light scattering and dielectric experiments. We found that for LC dispersed in porous matrices with randomly distributed interconnected pores, the contribution to physical properties and observed behavior from interfacial layers dominates and almost completely determines low frequency relaxational process.