No abstract

In recent years, stimuli responsive materials have gained significant attention in membrane separation processes due to their ability to change specific properties in response to small external stimuli, such as light, pH, temperature, ionic strength, pressure, magnetic field, antigen, chemical composition, and so on. In this review, we briefly report recent progresses in light-driven materials and membranes. Photo-switching mechanisms, valved-membrane fabrication and light-driven properties are examined. Advances and perspectives of light responsive polymer membranes in biotechnology, chemistry and biology areas are discussed.

Polymer‐dispersed liquid crystals (PDLCs) are liquid‐crystal dispersions within a polymer matrix. These films can be changed from an opaque to a transparent state by applying a suitable alternating‐current electric field. PDLCs have attracted the interest of researchers for their applications as light shutters, smart windows, and active displays. For such applications, electrochromic devices, which change color as a result of electrochemical reactions, have also become a recent focus of research. Herein, we report our preliminary results on bifunctional devices based on PDLCs that host electrochromic guest molecules. Such devices allow both an independent and fast switching from a scattering opaque state to a transmissive transparent state owing to liquid‐crystal reorientation and a color change from white (pale yellow) to dark blue, due to either oxidation or reduction of the electrochromic molecules.

The electrical properties of polymer-dispersed liquid crystals (PDLCs) are an important characteristic in their electro-optical performance. Conductivity effects can set up depolarization fields in the films reducing the effective field across the liquid crystal droplets. Both theoretical and experimental investigations have confirmed that the electric field across nematic droplets depends on the liquid crystal and polymer conductivities. In this letter, we have found that the doping of a PDLC with low percentages of a conductive polymer allows a fine adjustment of polymer matrix conductivity. In addition, we have found a large reduction in the re-orientation fields and relaxation times as a function of conductive polymer loading. Results are in rather good agreement with a simple phenomenological model.

Abstract. Silver-polyacrylonitrile (Ag-PAN) nanocomposites were in situ synthesized by simultaneous polymerization of acrylonitrile and reduction of silver ions, starting from mixtures of silver nitrate (AgNO3), acrylonitrile (AN), and UV photoinitiator (IN). The films obtained proved to be transparent and were characterized by a homogeneous dispersion of Ag nanoparticles within the PAN matrix without any macroscopic agglomeration. The particle size and number density were found to depend on both precursor salt and UV photoinitiator weight percentages. Optical and electrical properties were investigated as a function of both AgNO3 and IN amounts, too. We found that it is possible to finely tailor the metal nanoparticle size and number density and, consequently, the film optical and electrical response by adjusting the amounts of precursor salt and UV photoinitiator in the initial mixtures.