Enhancement of Polymer Structural Ordering in Polymer-Stabilised Blue Phases for Improved Electro-Optical Properties
Polymer-stabilised blue phase (PSBP) could be employed in novel fast response optical and photonic devices. It is inferred that inside PSBPs, the polymers are selectively aggregated by location in −1/2 disclinations, which are defects coexisting with the blue phase as a periodic lattice, thereby ext...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-04-01
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| Series: | Symmetry |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/13/5/772 |
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| author | Hirotsugu Kikuchi Takahiro Ashimine Zehui Qin Hiroki Higuchi Shizuka Anan Yasushi Okumura |
| author_facet | Hirotsugu Kikuchi Takahiro Ashimine Zehui Qin Hiroki Higuchi Shizuka Anan Yasushi Okumura |
| author_sort | Hirotsugu Kikuchi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Polymer-stabilised blue phase (PSBP) could be employed in novel fast response optical and photonic devices. It is inferred that inside PSBPs, the polymers are selectively aggregated by location in −1/2 disclinations, which are defects coexisting with the blue phase as a periodic lattice, thereby extending the temperature range of the blue phase. The polymer aggregate structure in PSBPs strongly affects their physical properties. In this study, we employed a non-destructive synchrotron ultra-small-angle X-ray diffraction analysis to investigate the effect of polymerisation rates on the polymer aggregate structure in PSBPs prepared with monomers of different polymerisation rates and examined the structure formation process of the polymer during polymerisation. When methacrylate monomers, which exhibit a relatively low polymerisation rate, were used to form polymers in PSBP, the resulting polymer was more selectively aggregated at disclinations in the PSBP. Furthermore, the electro-optical effect in the PSBP was successfully improved by reducing the polymer concentration in the PSBPs prepared with the optimised monomer combinations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:46:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-835eb085144948bbbd3a276500ea5e19 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-8994 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:46:19Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Symmetry |
| spelling | doaj.art-835eb085144948bbbd3a276500ea5e192023-11-21T18:04:07ZengMDPI AGSymmetry2073-89942021-04-0113577210.3390/sym13050772Enhancement of Polymer Structural Ordering in Polymer-Stabilised Blue Phases for Improved Electro-Optical PropertiesHirotsugu Kikuchi0Takahiro Ashimine1Zehui Qin2Hiroki Higuchi3Shizuka Anan4Yasushi Okumura5Institute for Material Chemistry and Engineering, Kyushu University, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816-8580, JapanInterdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering, Kyushu University, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816-8580, JapanInterdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering, Kyushu University, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816-8580, JapanInstitute for Material Chemistry and Engineering, Kyushu University, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816-8580, JapanInstitute for Material Chemistry and Engineering, Kyushu University, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816-8580, JapanInstitute for Material Chemistry and Engineering, Kyushu University, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816-8580, JapanPolymer-stabilised blue phase (PSBP) could be employed in novel fast response optical and photonic devices. It is inferred that inside PSBPs, the polymers are selectively aggregated by location in −1/2 disclinations, which are defects coexisting with the blue phase as a periodic lattice, thereby extending the temperature range of the blue phase. The polymer aggregate structure in PSBPs strongly affects their physical properties. In this study, we employed a non-destructive synchrotron ultra-small-angle X-ray diffraction analysis to investigate the effect of polymerisation rates on the polymer aggregate structure in PSBPs prepared with monomers of different polymerisation rates and examined the structure formation process of the polymer during polymerisation. When methacrylate monomers, which exhibit a relatively low polymerisation rate, were used to form polymers in PSBP, the resulting polymer was more selectively aggregated at disclinations in the PSBP. Furthermore, the electro-optical effect in the PSBP was successfully improved by reducing the polymer concentration in the PSBPs prepared with the optimised monomer combinations.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/13/5/772liquid crystalblue phasepolymer-stabilised blue phaseKerr effectelectro-opticsdisclination |
| spellingShingle | Hirotsugu Kikuchi Takahiro Ashimine Zehui Qin Hiroki Higuchi Shizuka Anan Yasushi Okumura Enhancement of Polymer Structural Ordering in Polymer-Stabilised Blue Phases for Improved Electro-Optical Properties Symmetry liquid crystal blue phase polymer-stabilised blue phase Kerr effect electro-optics disclination |
| title | Enhancement of Polymer Structural Ordering in Polymer-Stabilised Blue Phases for Improved Electro-Optical Properties |
| title_full | Enhancement of Polymer Structural Ordering in Polymer-Stabilised Blue Phases for Improved Electro-Optical Properties |
| title_fullStr | Enhancement of Polymer Structural Ordering in Polymer-Stabilised Blue Phases for Improved Electro-Optical Properties |
| title_full_unstemmed | Enhancement of Polymer Structural Ordering in Polymer-Stabilised Blue Phases for Improved Electro-Optical Properties |
| title_short | Enhancement of Polymer Structural Ordering in Polymer-Stabilised Blue Phases for Improved Electro-Optical Properties |
| title_sort | enhancement of polymer structural ordering in polymer stabilised blue phases for improved electro optical properties |
| topic | liquid crystal blue phase polymer-stabilised blue phase Kerr effect electro-optics disclination |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/13/5/772 |
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