Fast Bistable Switching Composite Systems of Side-chain Liquid-crystalline Copolymer and Low Molecular Weight Liquid Crystals

摘要

Mesomorphiccharacteristics and bistable lightswitching properties of the composite system composed ofvaious side chain type liquid crystalline copolymers (LCcoPs)which includes the flexible dimethylsiloxane segment as oneconstituent of the copolymer and low molecular weight nematicliquid crystals (nematic LCs) have been investigated in order toconstruct the optimum smectic binary composite system withboth fast light switching characteristics and stable memory effectsat room temperature. Two types of novel (LCcoPematic LCs)composite systems in a smectic phase studied were (1) (pseudoLccoP with weak polar methoxy terminal groupsematic LCswith strong polar cyano terminal groups) and (2) (smectic LCcoPwith strong polar cyano terminal groupsematic LCs with thesame terminal groups). The response speed of bistable lightswitching for the binary composite system could be remarkablyimproved by reducing the LCcoP fraction maintaining a smecticstate at room temperature due to an increase of the optimumflexible segment fraction.