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Synthesis, Properties, and Photopolymerization of Liquid‐Crystalline Oxetanes: Application in Transflective Liquid‐Crystal Displays
Author(s) -
van der Zande B. M. I.,
Roosendaal S. J.,
Doornkamp C.,
Steenbakkers J.,
Lub J.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.200500359
Subject(s) - materials science , photopolymer , liquid crystal , birefringence , monomer , retarder , liquid crystal display , microscale chemistry , thin film , polymer , polymerization , composite material , optoelectronics , chemical engineering , optics , nanotechnology , engineering , physics , mathematics education , mathematics
Mixtures of liquid‐crystalline di‐oxetanes and mono‐oxetanes are made for the purpose of making birefringent films by photopolymerization. The composition of a di‐oxetane mixture that forms spin‐coated films of planarly aligned nematic monomers is reported. These films are photopolymerized in air. The molecular order of the monomers can be changed on the microscale to form thin films with alternating birefringent and isotropic parts by using a combination of photopolymerization and heating. The interface observed between the birefringent and isotropic 10 μm × 10 μm domains is very sharp and the films show hardly any surface corrugation. In addition, the polymerized films are thermally stable, making them very suitable for use as patterned thin‐film retarders in high‐performance transflective liquid‐crystal displays (LCDs) which satisfy customer demand for displays that are brighter and thinner and that deliver better optical performance than conventional LCDs with an external non‐patterned retarder.