Control of Electro-Optic Properties of Nematic Liquid Crystals by Physical Gelation and the Development of Fluorinated Nematic Liquid Crystal Composites

Abstract

We succeeded in the formation of nematic liquid-crystalline physical gels by the hydrogen-bonded network formation of amino acid derivatives in nematic liquid crystals. The resultant liquid-crystalline gels exhibit microphase-separated structures and electro-optic responses in twisted nematic (TN) cells. Acceleration of response behavior of nematic liquid crystals by the physical gel formation has been observed. Response behavior of a fluorinated nematic liquid crystal can be improved by the use of the network aggregates.