Effect of metal nanoparticle doping on the phase sequence of blue phase liquid crystals

Abstract

We report the stabilization of cholesteric blue phases (BP) by doping nanoparticles. The temperature range of BP was expanded during cooling and heating process in the gold nanoparticle-doped samples for 5, 6, 7, 10 and 15 min of deposition. The expansion of the temperature range was larger for samples with higher nanoparticle concentrations. In addition, heavily nanoparticle-doped samples were found to exhibit BP I only. Stabilization of the BP is believed to be caused by the spherical metal nanoparticles being trapped in the disclination lines and the volume and the energy associated with the disclination lines being reduced.