Polymer-dispersed liquid crystal composites for bio-applications: thermotropic,surface and optical properties

Polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) systems based on polysulfone as carrying matrix and 4-cyano-4?-pentylbiphenyl (5CB) liquid crystal (LC) were obtained as thin transparent films. The PDLC films were prepared by solvent- and thermally induced phase separation methods, with various compositions in the two components. Information on the phase separation was obtained by polarised light optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and scanning electron microscopy. The PDLC composites show well-defined droplets of submicrometric size, around 650 nm for a medium content of LC and around 250 nm for a low one. The droplets show a radial configuration and a homeotropic alignment of the LC molecules within. By contact angle measurement and surface free energy calculations, it was established that self-assembling of aliphatic units of the two composite components, at droplet interface, is the driving force of the homeotropic alignment. Moreover, these data indicated the potential biocompatibility of the studied composites. The photophysical behaviour shows a better light emission of the PDLCs containing bigger droplets.