Morphology, dielectric, electro-optical and optical properties of diamond nanoparticle doped negative dielectric anisotropy liquid crystal

Liquid crystals (LCs) with negative dielectric anisotropy exhibit improved dynamic responses due to modifications in their geometrical structure under external stimuli. In the present study, we investigated the phase transition, dielectric, electro-optical and optical properties of diamond nanoparticles (DNPs) dispersed LC, p-butoxybenzylidene p-heptylaniline (BBHA). The addition of DNPs improved the alignment of LC molecules and altered their relaxation frequencies, leading to higher permittivity and birefringence of DNPs-LC composites. Additionally, the switching response time decreased with the dispersion of DNPs, indicating a faster dynamic response to the applied electric field. The experimental findings are consistent with the Maxwell-Wagner effect, demonstrating strong interfacial polarization between DNPs and LC molecules. The interaction between the dipole moment of LC molecules and the linking groups of BBHA further facilitated significant interactions with the DNPs. DNPs played a vital role in controlling the orientation of LC molecules, resulting in superior performance in various applications such as displays and photonics, highlighting their promising potential across different technological domains. © 2024 Elsevier B.V.