Open AccessPhase transition and optical behavior of PVP–MBBA microfibers
Author(s) -
Rusliana Fatayati,
Ahmad Kusumaatmaja,
Yusril Yusuf
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
japanese journal of applied physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.487
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1347-4065
pISSN - 0021-4922
DOI - 10.7567/1347-4065/ab42f5
Subject(s) - mbba , microfiber , liquid crystal , materials science , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , phase transition , phase (matter) , optics , composite material , chemistry , organic chemistry , thermodynamics , optoelectronics , physics
This study discusses the fabrication and characterization of optically responsive microfibers with uniaxially ordered nematic liquid crystal molecules at their core. The liquid crystal microfibers were electrospun from a solution of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and N-(4-methoxybenzylidene)-4-butylaniline (MBBA). A study of phase transition and optical behavior was performed using optical observation by polarized optical microscope, and intermolecular interaction was investigated using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). The diameter, orientational order of the fibers and light intensity that passed through the fibers depended on the MBBA concentration during the electrospinning process. The nematic–isotropic temperature ( T NI ) of PVP–MBBA microfibers shifted lower from the T NI of MBBA. Meanwhile a reverse correlation between MBBA concentrations and phase transition was found in the isotropic phase; a significant increase in temperature rate and response time was occurred with small weightage of MBBA. FTIR measurement confirmed that the liquid crystal molecules were self-phase separated from the PVP chains in the fibers.