The influence of charged ions on the electro-optical properties of polymer-dispersed liquid crystal films prepared by ultraviolet-initiated cationic polymerization

Polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) films based on epoxy resins were prepared by UV-initiated cationic polymerization using UVI-6974 as UV-initiator. The charged ions arose from photolysis of the UV-initiator remained in the liquid crystal (LC) droplet of the polymer matrix. Optical devices based on PDLC films derive their functional properties from the electric field induced reorientation of LC droplets. These PDLC films doped with ions showed different reorientation of LC molecules and electro-optical properties than those prepared without ionic dopants. When an electric field was applied across these PDLC films, the charged ions in the LC droplet migrated along the direction of the electric field in inducement of the electric field and assembled at the LC droplet/polymer interface. According to the situation mentioned above, the model of charged double layers at the LC droplet/polymer interface was set up in our study. The behavior was attributed to the charged double layers that cancel the field strength within the bulk of the liquid crystal in time. By using this model, the electric field and initiator concentration dependent results and the difference of the PDLC with and without ions were investigated and explained. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4745907]