Eco-friendly biopolymer electrolyte,pectin with magnesium nitrate salt,for application in electrochemical devices

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - Current research on electrochemical device application focuses on the usage of biopolymers like chitosan, pectin, agar-agar, cellulose acetate, and...     

Electric field‐induced birefringence,optical rotatory power and conoscopic measurements of a chiral antiferroelectric smectic liquid crystal

Using a photoelastic modulator‐based novel set‐up, the electric field‐induced in‐plane birefringence and the optical rotatory power (ORP) were measured of an antiferroelectric liquid crystalline compound (12OF1M7) in its various phases using 30 µm homeotropic cells. Some specific signatures of the in‐plane birefringence and of the ORP for the various phases are being established. A relatively small threshold field is needed for the unwinding process of the antiferroelectric phase with a unit cell of four layers [SmC_A*(1/2)] compared with that for two layers [SmC_A*(0)]. On application of the electric field on the high temperature side of the SmC_A*(1/2) phase (80.1–81.5°C), a field‐induced phase transition is shown to occur directly to the SmC* phase, whereas on the lower temperature side (79.4–80.1°C) the transition takes place to SmC* via the SmC_A*(1/3) phase. The in‐plane birefringence exhibits a critical power law dependence for the SmC*–SmA transition. The ORP changes sign within the temperature range of the phase with a unit cell of three layers, reflecting a change in the handedness during this phase. Using tilted conoscopy, the results for the biaxiality and the apparent tilt angle for a smectic liquid crystal with a tilt angle greater than 18° in the ferroelectric phase are reported. The biaxiality implies the difference in the refractive indices between the two minor axes of the refractive index ellipsoid. The optical transmittance at visible and IR wavelengths for free‐standing films reveal characteristic reflection bands for these phases. The modulated structures of the reflected bands appear just above the SmC_A* phase and below SmC_A*(1/3); these are possibly due to an easy deformation of the phase by the surfaces.     

Ultrathin films of functionalised single-walled carbon nanotubes: a potential bio-sensing platform

ABSTRACT

The Langmuir monolayer is a special class of lyotropic liquid crystalline system wherein phase transition essentially depends on surface density, temperature and ion-content in the aqueous medium. The variety of surface phases can be transferred onto devices by the Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) technique. The Langmuir monolayer of pristine single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) exhibited gas and liquid-like phases. The LB film of SWCNTs shows target surface pressure dependent interesting morphologies. The methane gas sensing using parallel alignment of SWCNTs was found to be better than that of randomly oriented SWCNTs. The SWCNTs can be functionalised chemically to enhance the ease of film processability and affinity towards analytes. These are essential parameters for the development of a sensor. In this article, we present our work on Langmuir monolayer and LB films of octadecylamine functionalised SWCNTs (ODACNTs) and its sensing application towards bio-analytes, e.g. L-aspartic acid and bovine serum albumin. The sensing performance of LB film of ODACNTs was compared with that of spin-coated films of ODACNTs. The sensing performance of LB films of ODACNTs indicated a potential platform for bio-sensing application.     

Electric field-induced birefringence, optical rotatory power and conoscopic measurements of a chiral antiferroelectric smectic liquid crystal

Using a photoelastic modulator-based novel set-up, the electric field-induced in-plane birefringence and the optical rotatory power (ORP) were measured of an antiferroelectric liquid crystalline compound (12OF1M7) in its various phases using 30 µm homeotropic cells. Some specific signatures of the in-plane birefringence and of the ORP for the various phases are being established. A relatively small threshold field is needed for the unwinding process of the antiferroelectric phase with a unit cell of four layers [SmC_A*(1/2)] compared with that for two layers [SmC_A*(0)]. On application of the electric field on the high temperature side of the SmC_A*(1/2) phase (80.1-81.5°C), a field-induced phase transition is shown to occur directly to the SmC* phase, whereas on the lower temperature side (79.4-80.1°C) the transition takes place to SmC* via the SmC_A*(1/3) phase. The in-plane birefringence exhibits a critical power law dependence for the SmC*-SmA transition. The ORP changes sign within the temperature range of the phase with a unit cell of three layers, reflecting a change in the handedness during this phase. Using tilted conoscopy, the results for the biaxiality and the apparent tilt angle for a smectic liquid crystal with a tilt angle greater than 18° in the ferroelectric phase are reported. The biaxiality implies the difference in the refractive indices between the two minor axes of the refractive index ellipsoid. The optical transmittance at visible and IR wavelengths for free-standing films reveal characteristic reflection bands for these phases. The modulated structures of the reflected bands appear just above the SmC_A* phase and below SmC_A*(1/3); these are possibly due to an easy deformation of the phase by the surfaces.     

Polyvinyl pyrrolidone/Mg(ClO4)2 solid polymer electrolyte: structural and electrical studies

Polymer electrolytes comprising polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) as host polymer and Mg(ClO₄)₂ as dopant salt have been prepared by solution casting technique using double-distilled water as solvent. The changes in the structural properties on the incorporation of dopant were investigated by XRD and FTIR analysis. The ionic conductivity and dielectric behavior were explored using AC impedance spectroscopy. The ionic conductivity increases with increasing dopant concentration. The conductivity enhancement with the increasing salt concentration is correlated with the increase in amorphous nature of the electrolytes. The frequency dependence of electrical conductivity obeys the universal Jonscher power law. The electrical modulus representation shows a loss feature in the imaginary component. The distribution of relaxation times was indicated by a deformed arc form of the Argand plot. The relative dielectric constant (ε _r ) decreases with increase in frequency in the low frequency region whereas a frequency-independent behavior is observed in the high frequency region. The total ionic transference number studies have confirmed that the mobile charge carriers are ions. Results obtained by cyclic voltammetry on SS/60 mol% PVP/40 mol% Mg(ClO₄)₂ SPE/SS symmetrical cell show evidence for reversibility.

     

Thin films of discotic liquid crystals and their applications

ABSTRACT

Discotic liquid crystals (DLCs) are considered as fascinating systems due to their unique property of self-assembly to yield different columnar structures. DLCs are organic semiconductors and create pathways for the development of numerous optical and electrical devices. The thin films of DLCs can be considered as low dimensional system which can exhibit remarkable optical and physical properties. In this article, we present a review on ultrathin films of some interesting DLC molecules at air–water and air–solid interfaces. The Langmuir monolayer and Langmuir–Blodgett films of DLC molecules are extensively studied. The ultrathin films of DLC molecules can yield highly anisotropic layer wherein the molecular orientation and aggregation can have large impact on the physicochemical properties of the film. Different surface phases with different molecular orientations as function of surface density and temperature can be obtained by forming the Langmuir monolayer of the DLC molecules at the air–water interface. The Langmuir monolayer in a particular phase can be deposited onto the active area of a device layer-by-layer by employing a highly controlled Langmuir–Blodgett technique. Here, we report some interesting results related on molecular orientation of the DLC molecules at different interfaces. Such aggregation of DLC molecules in ultrathin films may find applications in thin film-based electro-optical devices.     

Phase transitions in liquid crystals under negative pressures

We report the first measurements of orientational order parameters and phase transition temperatures in nematic and smectic A liquid crystals under negative pressures generated by an isochoric cooling of small droplets embedded in a glass former. Comparison of isobaric and isochoric measurements allows us to estimate the coefficients coupling the order parameter and density of an extended Landau--de Gennes model of the nematic phase.