Functionalized Metal and Semiconductor Nanoparticle Doped Liquid Crystals – Modifying Optical and Electro-Optical Properties

AbstractTo take advantage of the characteristic size and shape-dependent properties of nanoscale particles for liquid crystal applications, we produced numerous different liquid crystal mixtures doped with small quantities of specially designed, functionalized metal nanoparticles (i.e., Au and Ag) and semiconductor quantum dots (here CdTe) and studied the optical (texture, alignment, defect formation, luminescence) and electro-optic properties of the resulting liquid crystal suspensions. Depending on experimental parameters such as nanoparticle functionalization and concentration, cell surface treatment, cooling rate, as well as an applied electric field, the nanoparticles differing in surface functionality, size and core material give rise to diverse effects in different nematic and smectic liquid crystal hosts.