Reverse Mode Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal Materials

拟开展的工作主要集中在反转模式聚合物分散液晶材料的开发。这些材料将被制成薄膜或封装液滴，与包括普通模式聚合物分散系统在内的其他液晶器件有着根本的不同。反模材料的重要区别在于，它们在没有外加电场的情况下表示光学透射态，而当外加电场时，它们被转换为不透明的光散射状态。它们的场断/场通行为与通常与液晶材料的光学性质相关联的行为完全相反，因此导致了反向模式的指定。这些反向模式聚合物分散液晶材料有许多重大和独特的商业机会。它们包括在商业和住宅建筑中用作“智能窗”以节约能源的建筑用途；汽车中的隐私窗；以及作为平视显示技术的一种新方法。与其他液晶光闸相比，反转模式材料在这些应用方面的独特特征集中在故障保护方面，因为它们在没有外加电场的情况下是透明的。因此，计划外停电不会造成危险情况。商业化的经济因素将是最有利的，因为这些反向模式材料的生产成本相对较低。第一阶段实验的重点是改善反模聚合物分散液晶材料的整体光学性质。特别是，将进行系统的研究，通过改变液晶微滴的形状和尺寸来优化这些材料在透明场关闭状态下的透过率。

The proposed work centers on the development of reverse mode polymer dispersed liquid crystal materials. These materials, which will be fabricated either as films or as encapsulated droplets, are radically different from other liquid crystal devices, including normal mode polymer dispersed systems. The important distinction of reverse mode materials is that they represent an optically transmissive state in the absence of applied fields and are converted to an opaque light scattering state when a field is applied. Their field-off/field-on behavior is exactly opposite to that normally associated with optical properties of liquid crystal materials, thus giving rise to the reverse mode designation. There are numerous major and unique commercial opportunities for these reverse mode polymer dispersed liquid crystal materials. They include architectural use as "smart windows" for energy savings in commercial and residential buildings; privacy windows in automobiles; and as a new approach to heads-up display technology. The unique feature of reverse mode materials with respect to these applications, as contrasted with other liquid crystal light shutters, centers on the fail-safe aspect in that they are transparent in the absence of an applied field. Thus, unscheduled power outages will not create hazardous situations. The economic factors in commercialization would be most favorable in that these reverse mode materials are relatively inexpensive to produce. The focus of the phase I experimental effort is to improve the overall optical properties of reverse mode polymer dispersed liquid crystal materials. In particular, systematic studies will be conducted to optimize the percent transmission of these materials in the transparent field-off state through modification of the shapes and sizes of the liquid crystal microdroplets.