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Ink‐Jet Printed Nanoparticle Alignment Layers: Easy Design and Fabrication of Patterned Alignment Layers for Nematic Liquid Crystals
Author(s) -
Reznikov Mitya,
Sharma Anshul,
Hegmann Torsten
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
particle and particle systems characterization
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.877
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1521-4117
pISSN - 0934-0866
DOI - 10.1002/ppsc.201300248
Subject(s) - homeotropic alignment , liquid crystal , materials science , fabrication , substrate (aquarium) , inkwell , optoelectronics , dielectric , electric field , nanoparticle , monolayer , anisotropy , optics , nanotechnology , composite material , medicine , oceanography , alternative medicine , physics , pathology , quantum mechanics , geology
Ink‐jet printing of monolayer‐capped gold nanoparticles is introduced as a versatile and highly efficient means to pattern the alignment of nematic liquid crystals. Any homeotropic alignment patterns can be created quickly ranging in size from 30 μm (850 dpi) to several square inches, with high accuracy that does not deteriorate with time. Depending on the alignment underlayer, intermediate configurations between homeotropic and homogeneous are also feasible. Nematic liquid crystals with both positive and negative dielectric anisotropy can be switched by applying a DC or AC electric field in the printed vertical domains with the substrate configuration determining the electro‐optic response.