Basic Studies of Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystals

向列液晶的基本研究局限于微米和亚微米大小的腔在固体聚合物描述。聚合物分散液晶（pdlc）中存在的高表面体积比和高密度的空腔使得核磁共振和光散射研究不寻常的表面现象在这些强大的实验方法之前是不可能的。提出了表面锚定能量、角度和停留时间的独特测量方法，并通过这些技术对理论预测的表面层过渡进行了实验。将研究向列指向器构型和向列液晶被限制在一个小而高弯曲的腔内所引起的向列-各向同性跃迁的修正。这些基础研究以pdlc在显示器和其他电光器件的百叶窗中的应用为指导。其他研究向列相相分离的基础工作对于创建新型PDLC材料和确定向列结构的场致迟滞的潜在原因至关重要，这些主题来自与PDLC材料的应用和工业利益的直接相互作用。

Fundamental studies of nematic liquid crystals confined to micron and submicron-size cavities in a solid polymer are described. The high surface-to-volume ratio imposed by the cavities and the high density of cavities present in polymer dispersed liquid crystals (PDLCs) allow for NMR and light scattering studies of unusual surface phenomena not possible before by these powerful experimental methods. Unique measurements of surface anchoring energies, angles, and residing times are proposed and experiments on the surface layer transition predicted by theory are shown to be accessible by these techniques. Nematic director configurations and modifications of the nematic-isotropic transition induced by the confinement of a nematic liquid crystal to a small and highly curved cavity will be studied. These basic studies are guided by applications of PDLCs in light shutters for displays and other electrooptic devices. Other basic work to investigate phase separation in the nematic phase essential to create new types of PDLC materials and to determine the underlying reason for field induced hysteresis of nematic configurations are topics which come from direct interactions with applied and industrial interests in PDLC materials.