SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF THIOL - CAPPED SILVER NANOPARTICLES AND THEIR EFFECT ON LIQUID CRYSTALS

Synthesis and characterization of Liquid Crystalline p-n-decyloxy benzoic acid (10OBA) compound with thiolcapped Ag nanoparticle dispersion was carried out by chemical reduction method. The Polarizing Microscopy (POM), Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) technique are used to measure the Glass transition temperature (Tg) and melting temperature (Tm) of the prepared samples. Spectroscopic techniques like X-ray Diffraction spectrometric studies (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopic studies (SEM), Ultra-Violet Visible (UV) spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infra Red Spectroscopy (FTIR) were also carried out on to the samples. Textural determinations of the synthesized compounds are recorded by using POM connected with a hot stage and camera. The results showed that the dispersion of thiol-capped Ag nanoparticles in 10OBA exhibited NC phases as that of the pure 10OBA with reduced clearing temperature as expected. The order parameter is estimated from birefringence anisotropy data without considering any internal field model to liquid crystal molecule and with dispersed thiol-capped Ag nanoparticles. It is found that the birefringence anisotropy as well as orientational order parameter of 10OBA increased with dispersed 1 wt% thiol-capped Ag nanoparticles.