Enhanced Electro-optical Properties of Low Viscous Nematic Liquid Crystal Doped with Mixed Phase Anatase/Rutile TiO<sub>2</sub> Nanoparticles for Display Applications

Abstract

Organic-inorganic composite based on liquid crystalline and TiO 2 nanoparticles were obtained and investigated taking into account the crystallographic form of TiO 2 i.e., anatase/rutile mixed phase. TiO 2 is an important class of material having various dielectric and electro-optical properties. The existent research presents the electro-optical properties of nematic liquid crystal (NLC) E204 and TiO 2 nanocomposites over an extensive range of frequencies. Various important display parameters such as response time, threshold voltage, pretilt angle and activation energy of pristine as well as TiO 2 doped composites systems were measured and analyzed. In comparison with the pure, TiO 2 -doped composite systems has approximately 50% faster response time, owing to its remarkable decline in the relaxation time and activation energy of the LCs. The alteration in the optical intensity of the NLC composites as a function of the concentration of TiO 2 nanoparticles (NPs) was also examined. It was established that the optical intensity in nano-nematic composites was decreasing with the concentration of TiO 2 NPs. Also, it was observed that an escalation in the TiO 2 NPs concentration in NLC composites indicates to an escalation in the birefringence. Probable mechanisms of the interactivity between NLC molecules and TiO 2 NPs have been discussed. The current work shows that the TiO 2 NPs doping has an encouraging application in the display devices, including other electro-optical as well as photonic applications.