Polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) films were prepared by photopolymerization of liquid crystal (LC)/polymerizable monomers/photoinitiator composites. The effects of the structures of the polymerizable monomers on the electro-optical properties of PDLC films were investigated. It was found that the length of the molecular chain and the rigidity and flexibility of molecules influenced the structure of the polymer network in the PDLC films somewhat, and then affected the electro-optical properties of the composites accordingly.

2009) Effects of the preparing condition of a polymer-stabilised liquid crystal with a smectic-A-chiral nematic phase transition on its properties, Liquid Crystals, 36:2, 165-172, A homeotropically-oriented polymer network stabilised liquid crystal (PSLC) film with a smectic-A (SmA)-chiral nematic (N*) phase transition was prepared. In the temperature range of the SmA phase, the liquid crystal (LC) molecules were homeotropically oriented and the film showed a transparent state. However, in the temperature range of the N* phase, the film showed a strong light scattering state due to the LC molecules adopting a focal conic alignment affected by the homeotropically-oriented polymer network. Moreover, the strong light scattering state of the N* phase could return to the transparent state when an electric field is applied on it. The focus of this study is on the effects of the preparing conditions of the PSLC film, including the curing temperature and the intensity of the ultraviolet (UV) irradiation on its thermo-optical and electro-optical properties.