LC nanocomposites: polymer functionalized nanoparticles

Inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) can be added to liquid crystals (LCs) to form LC nanocomposites. These nanocomposites can impart the electro-optical properties of the NPs to the LCs while the LCs can control the spatial distribution and properties of the particles. The surface coatings of these NPs can be designed to prevent uncontrolled aggregation. Mesogenic ligands often provide the best stabilization but require custom synthesis. We are exploring polymer ligands as an alternative, as they offer synthetic simplicity as well as chemical and molecular weight tunability. In particular, we are varying the polymer chain flexibility since more rigid chains can better couple to the nematic order whereas flexible polymers should strongly phase separate.