Redox-Responsive Chiral Dopant for Quick Electrochemical Color Modulation of Cholesteric Liquid Crystal

Here, we report the first redox-active chiral dopant D-Fc, which electrically alters its helical twisting power (HTP) for a cholesteric liquid crystalline (LC) medium and quickly changes the reflection color. D-Fc is composed of an axially chiral binaphthyl unit in conjunction with a redox-active ferrocene unit. A cholesteric LC phase of 4'-pentyloxy-4-cyanobiphenyl, doped with D-Fc (3.0 mol %), developed a blue reflection color. When nitrosyl tetrafluoroborate, a one-electron oxidant, was added to this cholesteric LC phase, D-Fc was oxidized to decrease its original HTP value by 13%, so that a green reflection color was developed. In the presence of a supporting electrolyte, the reflection color was electrochemically modulated using a sandwich-type glass cell with indium tin oxide electrodes. In quick response to the applied voltage of +1.5 V, the reflection color changed from blue to green within 0.4 s. When 0 V was applied, the reflection color returned to its original blue color. The D-Fc-doped cholesteric LC is characterized by its fastest electrochemical response and lowest operating voltage among those reported for electrically driven cholesteric LC devices.