SWCNT doped ferroelectric liquid crystal: The electro-optical properties with enhanced dipolar contribution

Effect of single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) on electro-optical performance of a ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) has been studied. Voltage dependent spontaneous polarization and response time measurement has been made for the pure and SWCNT doped FLC system. Dielectric measurement has also been performed to understand the existing interaction between SWCNTs and FLC molecules. The results have shown increase in the value of spontaneous polarization and relative permittivity with slight slower response for the doped system. The observed properties of doped system revealed that the SWCNTs can perform well with FLC at low applied electric field to enhance the performance of LC devices.     

Surface anchoring effect on guest–host ferroelectric liquid crystal response time – an electro-optical investigation

The effect is reported of surface anchoring on various electro-optical parameters of a pure ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) and five mixtures with different concentrations of dye. The Anthraquinone D5 dye was used as guest entity, whereas Felix 17-000 was used as host in this investigation. The presence of dye molecules in the FLC dramatically affects the electro-optical properties compared with those of the pure system. Electro-optical parameters such as spontaneous polarization and rotational viscosity not only change with the addition of dye but they are also strongly dependent on the concentration of dye in pure FLC. The effect of dye molecules on the anchoring energy of the pure FLC system was also investigated. Due to strong anchoring energy on FLC substrate, its effect on response time was also studied. An improvement in the contrast ratio after dye doping was observed. The value of spontaneous polarization increases due to addition of dye, suggesting that molecular alignment improves, which is very useful from the application point of view.     

Effect of conducting polymer poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) nanotubes on electro-optical and dielectric properties of a ferroelectric liquid crystal

A detailed comparative study of the dielectric and electro-optical properties of a ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) and FLC after having doped with conducting polymer Poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) nanotubes is done. The electro-optic study reveals a lower electrical response time, rotational viscosity and spontaneous polarization in the FLC/PEDOT nanocomposite system. By fitting the capacitance with voltage in a Preisach model, four dipolar species in both FLC and composites system have been obtained. The orientation of the four dipolar species in the composites system is such that the effective dipole moment in the transverse direction of the FLC molecule is less than that in FLC compound.     

Suppression of relaxation modes in dye dispersed SmC* phase

We report the results of dielectric and electro-optical properties of ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC), Felix 17/100, exhibiting chiral smectic C phase and dye dispersed FLCs. The polarization measurement on pristine and dye dispersed FLC mixture shows decrease in the value of polarization, indicating the distribution of dye dipole in a direction opposite to the orientation of FLC molecule. The rotational viscosity also decreases accordingly as shown by the measurement of response time. Dielectric measurement shows existence of two relaxation modes both in pure FLC and dye dispersed FLC. The relaxation strength of Goldstone mode decreases with the dispersion of dye and the relaxation frequency of this mode shifts towards the high-frequency side. The second relaxation mode arises due to the formation of domains at the surface interface. The dispersion of dye into FLC suppresses the domains.     

Dielectric and electro-optic behavior of pure ferroelectric liquid crystal material and the isomeric mixtures

We report here the dielectric relaxation spectroscopy and electro-optical properties of a ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) CB470 (R) and isomeric mixtures containing CB470 (R) and its optical isomer CB480 (S) in two different concentrations. We have studied with two isomeric mixtures: mixing CB470 (R) and CB480 (S) in the ratio 95:5 (w/w) and 90:10 (w/w). With increase of percentage of CB480 (S) in the mixture the spontaneous polarization (P_S) value has been decreased due to cancellation of a part of the dipolar contribution, since the direction of P_S of the two isomers are in opposite direction. The tilt angles of the pure FLC materials and the isomeric mixtures remain almost unchanged. The dielectric strength of Goldstone mode is almost proportional to the spontaneous polarization (P_S). An additional collective mode has been observed in the SmC¹ phase due to the formation of domain with large periodicity in pure FLC material and in one of the isomeric mixtures by unwinding the helical structures, which is known as domain mode. The existence of domain mode has been studied extensively with the variation of P_S in the isomeric mixtures. The result has been discussed.     

Structural, electro-optical and dielectric characterizations of ferroelectric liquid crystals showing the SmC*–SmA*–N* phase sequence

Structural (helical pitch), electro-optical (tilt angle, spontaneous polarization and response time) and dielectric (Goldstone mode) characterizations have been performed on two pure ferroelectric liquid crystals of a biphenyl alkyloxy benzoate series and they show the N*–SmA*–SmC* phase sequence. The different results are discussed: the helical pitch, the spontaneous polarization and the rotational viscosity which is determined as a function of temperature by two methods using electro-optical or dielectric measurements. An Arrhenius behaviour of the rotational viscosity is found for the two compounds. The corresponding activation energies are determined.     

Integrated Electro-Optic Switches Based on Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal Waveguides

Two integrated electro-optic switches based on smectic C * ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) planar waveguides oriented in the bookshelf geometry have been designed and realized. In order to test the first switch, a particular waveguide structure consisting of a three-stage device, having a thin FLC film middle stage and two glass waveguides as other stages, has been designed and realized. The second one is realized by a planar waveguide with a smectic C * ferroelectric liquid crystal overlayer. In this article the design, the realization, and the experimental characterization of electro-optical switches are reported. The electro-optical behavior and the response time of both devices have been studied for different configurations for both TE and TM polarization. Our main aim was to demonstrate the feasibility of an integrated electro-optic device based on a FLC waveguide, and our experimental results provide a number of interesting indications about device optimization and practical applications.     

Effect of dichroic azo-dye doped on ferroelectric liquid crystals

In order to study the effect of mixing dye in ferroelectric liquid crystal （FLC） materials, the phase transition temperature and electro-optical properties of azo dye doped FLC samples have been investigated. All the properties have been found to be changed drastically. The results have revealed that not only the SmC^＊- SmA^＊ transition temperature decreased markedly by the addition of azo-dye, but also dye-doped FLC had lower threshold voltage and saturation voltage than the pure FLC.     

Static and dynamic electro-optic properties of a SmC* phase in surface stabilized geometry and dispersed in the polymer matrix

Comparative electro-optical measurements have been made on a ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) in surface stabilized geometry and confined to an ellipsoidal cavity within a polymer matrix. The static and dynamic electro-optical characteristics were measured for both systems and show qualitatively similar behaviours. A fast switching and important bistability were observed and characterized as a function of the applied electric field strength. The switching time between the two stable states of the surface stabilized cell was found to be longer than that found for the composite films. We argue that the faster switching dynamic of the FLC in cavities is due to the enhance of the rotational mobility of the molecules, probably (and partly) because of the soft anchoring character of the molecules at the cavity walls. Using a collective switching model in the high field regime, which assume a linear coupling between the spontaneous polarization and the local cavity electric field, we give an estimate of the rotational viscosity of the FLC molecules in the droplets.Received: 5 October 2003, Published online: 5 February 2004PACS: 61.30.Pq Microconfined liquid crystals: droplets, cylinders, randomly confined liquid crystals, polymer dispersed liquid crystals, and porous systems - 61.30.Hn Surface phenomena: alignment, anchoring, anchoring transitions, surface-induced layering, surface-induced ordering, wetting, prewetting transitions, and wetting transitions - 77.80.Fm Switching phenomena     

Measurement of electro-optical parameters of a high contrast FLC film

We have fabricated a ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) film by using a novel ferroelectric mixture. The various ferroelectric parameters such as response time, spontaneous polarization and contrast ratio of the FLC film have been measured. Experimental results show that the FLC film exhibits high contrast ratios and fast optical response. The FLC film has a possibility of the use in display applications because of the performance characteristics.     

Tunability of temperature-dependent absorption in a graphene-based hybrid nanostructure cavity

Enhanced absorption is obtained in a hybrid nanostructure composed of graphene and one-dimensional photonic crystal as a cavity in the visible wavelength range thanks to the localized electric field around the defect layers. The temperature-induced wavelength shift is revealed in the absorption spectra in which the peak wavelength is red-shifted by increasing the temperature. This temperature dependence comes from the thermal expansion and thermo-optical effects in the constituent layers of the structure. Moreover, the absorption peaks can be adjusted by varying the incident angle. The results show that absorption is sensitive to TE/TM polarization and its peak values for the TE mode are higher than the TM case. Also, the peak wavelength is blue-shifted by increasing the incident angle for both polarizations. Finally, the possibility of tuning the absorption using the electro-optical response of graphene sheets is discussed in detail. We believe our study may be beneficial for designing tunable graphene-based temperature-sensitive absorbers.     

乙二醇和丙三醇的吸收光谱和荧光光谱研究

对乙二醇和丙三醇的紫外吸收光谱和荧光光谱进行了实验研究和理论分析,发现两者的最大吸收波长均位于198 nm,且在适当的紫外波长激励下均能发射出荧光,文章中给出了相应的荧光光谱图,但荧光相对强度和激发波长间似乎没有明显变化规律,其原因有待进一步探索。从乙二醇的一阶导数荧光光谱,得知在210 nm激发下荧光相对强度随时间变化最快,在225 nm激发下的绝大多数时间内变化速率最慢。另外,文章还从量子计算出发,采用一维势阱模型,根据电子从HOMO到LUMO的跃迁,计算出了两者的吸收波长值。比较分析了计算值与实验值之间的误差,考虑到将分子直链化后其键长与实际情况有所差别,结果认为理论计算有一定的参考价值。     

激光光源-在线荧光光谱检测中的光强度比较研究

基于激光光源和氙灯光源在线荧光光谱法测定罗丹明B、维生素B₂、荧光素和异硫氰酸荧光素含量比较研究激光光源产生的荧光强度和氙灯光源产生的荧光强度。罗丹明B、维生素B₂、荧光素和异硫氰酸荧光素浓度均为10 μg·mL-1,积分时间100 ms,测定3次得其平均值。在线荧光光谱法最大吸收波长分别为580,450,488和510 nm;最大发射波长依次为594,530,525和524 nm。紫外-可见分光光度法测得其最大吸收波长为557,441,481和490 nm;荧光分光光度法测得其最大发射波长为586,520,519和520 nm。通过测定药物,发现激光光源产生的荧光光强度较强于氙灯光源产生的荧光光强度,原因不仅跟光源有关,而且与药物分子的共轭体系大小、共轭大π键的共平面性及其刚性程度、分子母体上取代基的种类有关,分子所处的外界环境如温度、溶剂、溶液酸碱度、激发光的照射等因素也会影响荧光效率。激光光源和氙灯光源产生的荧光光强度大小顺序为罗丹明B>荧光素>异硫氰酸荧光素>维生素B₂。激光光源在线荧光光谱法在一定程度上填补了在线荧光光谱仪在食品、药品痕量检测方面应用的空白。     

Dielectric and electro-optical properties of dye doped ferroelectric liquid crystal

Addition of dye in ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) results in change in many properties of FLCs which depend upon some basic properties of pure FLCs, dye molecular structure and its concentration in pure FLC. Present Letter reports dielectric and electro-optical studies of pure and dyed FLCs for this aspect.     

壳聚糖基聚合物碳点荧光材料合成及其自组装载药应用

荧光碳点具有化学稳定性好、毒性小、可表面功能化等优点,引起了人们极大的兴趣。近年来,由高分子多糖合成的聚合物碳点成为另一研究热点。本文通过水热法合成了一种壳聚糖基荧光聚合物碳点材料（P（CS-g-mPEG-CA）CDs）,并用于载药研究。基于壳聚糖和聚乙二醇既是碳点的碳源也是碳点的钝化试剂,本文选择壳聚糖接枝聚乙二醇单甲醚和柠檬酸衍生物作为聚合物碳点的碳源,以提高聚合碳点的量子产率。另外,聚合物碳点还可以保留聚乙二醇与壳聚糖分子结构,为其在载药方面的应用提供有利条件。采用红外光谱、紫外光谱、X射线衍射、光电子能谱、透射电子显微镜和光致发光光谱对P（CS-g-mPEG-CA）CDs进行了结构表征以及pH值稳定性的测试。结果表明,所合成的P（CS-g-mPEG-CA）CDs具有较高的荧光量子产率（66.81%）、较长的荧光寿命（15.247 ns）、良好的pH稳定性。以阿霉素为模型药物,利用该聚合物碳点进行了负载研究,结果表明,当聚乙二醇单甲醚取代度为11.9%时,聚合物碳点的载药量最高为51.3%,最大药物释放率为28.7%,此外,药物的装载和释放可以通过mPEG的接枝率进行控制。采用MTT法评价了聚合物的碳点对鼻咽癌细胞（CNE-2）的毒性作用。研究表明,空白聚合物碳点无明显细胞毒性,CNE-2细胞存活率随着载药胶束的增加而降低,说明载药胶束对CNE-2细胞有较强的抑制作用。可见该P（CS-g-mPEG-CA）CDs在荧光标记、药物递送、荧光示踪系统和控制释放方面,具有一定的应用前景。     

基于跃迁偶极矩取向特征研究乙醚溶液中分子的各向异性度

利用偏振荧光光谱和偏振激发光谱研究了乙醚溶液中荧光分子跃迁偶极距的取向特征.实验结果表明,在垂直线偏振光照射下,乙醚溶液发射出峰值位于305 nm的荧光谱,对应的最佳激励光波长为256 nm.由偏振激发光谱分析得到荧光体的吸收跃迁偶极矩和发射跃迁偶极矩间夹角α的变化规律,揭示了荧光去偏振过程：在粘性溶液中的荧光分子具有一定的偶极取向,α随激发光波长发生变化,当激发波长接近最佳激发光波长时,吸收跃迁偶极矩和发射跃迁偶极矩间趋于平行,荧光的退偏效果较弱,偏振度最大.研究结果能为分子空间取向特征的理论研究提供参考.     

Giant quadratic electro-optical effect during polarization switching in ultrathin ferroelectric polymer films

The low-frequency quadratic electro-optical effect with a maximum electro-optical coefficient of g = 8 × 10^?19 m²/V² (i.e., four orders of magnitude greater than the standard high-frequency value) has been studied in thin films of ferroelectric polymer PVDF(70%)-TrFE(30%). The observed effect is related to the process of spontaneous polarization switching, during which the electron oscillators of C-F and C-H dipole groups rotate to become parallel to the applied field. As a result, the ellipsoid of the refractive index exhibits narrowing in the direction perpendicular to the field. The field dependence of the electro-optical coefficient g correlates with that of the apparent dielectric permittivity, which can be introduced under the condition of ferroelectric polarization switching. The observed electro-optical effect strongly decreases when the frequency increases up to several hundred hertz. The temperature dependence of the effect exhibits clearly pronounced hysteresis in the region of the ferroelectric phase transition.     

Multidimensional single-molecule imaging in live cells using total-internal-reflection fluorescence microscopy

We have developed a wide-field total-internal-reflection fluorescence microscope capable of imaging single molecules in live cells, resolved in both wavelength and polarization. We show fluorescence resonance energy transfer between single pairs of fluorescent molecules bound to signaling receptors in the plasma membrane of live cells and demonstrate the importance of polarization discrimination in addition to wavelength separation.     

聚苯乙烯荧光乳液的制备及其性能研究

为了实现萘酰亚胺水性化以及提高与纸张的结合性,通过乳液聚合法制备了聚苯乙烯荧光乳液,并对其合成条件进行了优化。通过红外、凝胶渗透色谱法确定其结构;利用紫外、荧光光谱测定其光学性能;采用扫描电镜和透射电镜对其形貌进行了观测。通过计算得出其荧光量子产率为78.57%。聚合物涂布于纸张表面后,初始白度增大了8.19%（ISO）。在紫外老化箱老化48 h后,涂有聚合物的纸张的白度分别比空白纸和涂有小分子荧光增白剂的纸张下降了3.68%（ISO）和3.16%（ISO）,说明所制得的聚合物乳液与纸张结合性好,具有一定的增白及返黄抑制作用。     

Electro-optic properties of nematic and ferroelectric liquid crystalline nanocolloids doped with partially reduced graphene oxide

Flakes of partially reduced graphene oxide (PRGO) were doped in nematic liquid crystals (NLCs) and ferroelectric liquid crystals (FLCs), respectively. The dielectric and electro-optical properties of NLCs doped with those flakes have been investigated. Threshold voltage and switching times are reduced by 30%–50%. This is primarily due to the decrease of the elastic properties of the nanocolloids compared to the non-doped nematics. The influence of the PRGO flakes on the spontaneous polarization, tilt angle and switching time of FLCs was investigated too. Such flakes reduce the response time by 40%–60%, increases spontaneous polarization by 20%–25% and increase the tilt angle by 15%–20%.