| Summary: | Conventional polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) films have been successful as
electrically-switchable screens for privacy applications. However, spatial patterning of the
films so as to generate a visually appealing design, logo, or image typically requires intricate
fabrication processes such as the use of prefabricated photomasks that do not allow for ondemand designs. Here, we report on the fabrication and characterisation of spatially patterned
PDLC ‘pixels’ using drop-on-demand inkjet printing and demonstrate how these materials can
be used to form a new generation of smart windows that consist of embedded images or
company logos, which can be made to disappear with the application of a voltage. Following
refinements to the material rheology and the subsequent successful deposition of individual
PDLC droplets, arrays of PDLC pixels were printed at a resolution of 250 pixels per inch with
an individual pixel size of 130 µm operating at an electric field strength (E) of E = 1.4 Vμm−1
.
Finally, using the approach developed herein, these printed PDLC pixels have been arranged to
form a college emblem that is embedded within a smart window that can be made to disappear
with the application of a voltage.
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