Polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal-based switchable glazing fabricatedviavacuum glass coupling

Abstract

A vacuum-coupling technique is suggested to fabricate a glass-based PDLC, without using a roll-to-roll process, to improve the optical properties.

Ion-Conducting Flexible Thin Films of Composites from Poly(ethylene oxide) and Nematic Liquid Crystals E8—Characterization by Impedance and Dielectric Relaxation Spectroscopy

“…Having suitable mechanical, electrical, dielectric, thermal, and other properties, as well as relatively easy preparation, stable chemical properties, and film-forming behaviors, and providing high mobility of charge carriers, such all-organic soft-solid composite materials can be ionic conductors that combine the advantages of solid polymer electrolytes with the unique properties of the LC soft matter included in plastic materials. For this reason, promising polymer-LC combinations are developed for alternative electrical energy storage systems, for thin-film devices, such as dry-state mini-batteries, electromechanical actuators, solar cells, solar-energy harvesting, and electrochromic displays, as well as for sensorics, mechatronics, and soft electronics applications [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15].…”

Spatially Patterned Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystals for Image‐Integrated Smart Windows

“…[45,46] The difference in transmission is comparable to observations reported previously on PDLC films of a similar film thickness that have been targeted for use in smart window technologies. [15,45,47] The dynamic response of the PDLC domains to an applied electric field is also an important device parameter for many applications, such as in light shutters. The rise time, t rise , and decay time t decay in this study is defined as the time in which the film transmittance changes from 10% to 90%, and from 90% to 10%, respectively.…”

“…By matching the refractive index of the polymer matrix to one of the refractive indices of the LC, typically the ordinary refractive index, then a transparent state can be obtained by reorienting the LC director with an applied electric field so that the refractive indices of the LC droplets and the polymer binder match. [11,15] Even though the PIPS technique provides flexibility in terms of the phase separation process, a drawback lies in the inherent homogeneity that results from the mixing and coating procedures, which produces films consisting of a single LC and polymer formulation. To obtain PDLC films with spatially varying properties, the photopolymerization process has to be performed with the aid of a photomask or hologram to create patterns or variations in the film morphology.…”

Recent Advances in The Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal Composite and Its Applications

“…Once an electric field of sufficient strength is applied, the film becomes transparent and this phenomenon is attributed to the alignment of LC droplets along the direction of the electric field (Figure 1), if the ordinary refractive index n o of LC matches with the refractive index n p of the polymer matrix [4]. Spurred by the employment of PDLC in display technologies, research on these materials has rapidly grown in recent decades and is now extending into areas beyond smart windows [5] and displays [6], including diffuse film [7], antipeeping film, quantum dots (QDs) film [8] and components of organic light emitting diode (OLEDs) [9], field effect transistors (FETs) [10], energy storage [11] and solar-energy harvesting [12]. PDLCs can be prepared by emulsion or phase separation methods [13][14][15].…”