Polymer dispersed liquid crystals doped with CeO2 nanoparticles for the smart window

In this paper, rare earth oxide CeO2 nanoparticle-doped polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) films were prepared by the polymerisation induced phase separation (PIPS) process. The effects of the crosslinking agent TMPTA content, liquid crystal (LC) content and the CeO2 content on the polymer structures and electro-optical properties of the as-made PDLC films were investigated systematically. It has been found that by changing the TMPTA content, LC content and doping a small amount of CeO2 nanoparticles, the electro-optical properties of PDLC films can be optimised. After adding a low concentration of CeO2 nanoparticles, the electro-optical properties of the PDLC film have been well optimised: after adding 0.8% CeO2, V-th decreased from 26.6 V to 16.8 V, and CR increased from 89.5 to 137.6. Consequently, this work offers a meaningful approach to optimise the electro-optical properties of PDLC films, which indeed can form a wonderful footstone for the wide application of PDLC.

Automated summary

This study investigates the effects of crosslinking agent TMPTA content, liquid crystal content, and CeO2 content on the polymer structures and electro-optical properties of PDLC films. It was found that by doping a small amount of CeO2 nanoparticles, the electro-optical properties of PDLC films can be optimized, showing a significant decrease in V-th and increase in CR. This work provides a valuable approach to optimize the electro-optical properties of PDLC films, laying a solid foundation for their wide application.