Electrorheological behavior of the hybrid material prepared by cohydrolysis of titanium(IV) isopropoxide with minor additions of a liquid crystal

A new organic-inorganic hybrid material based on Ti(IV) dioxide and a liquid crystal of alkyloxybenzoic acid with variable-length alkyl chain was prepared by the sol-gel procedure. Physicochemical analysis of the resulting material was carried out, and the electrorheological activity and dielectric properties of the dispersions of the synthesized powders in polydimethylsiloxane (PMS-20) were examined in relation to the length of the alkyl chain of the liquid crystal.