Enhancing the electro-optic response of polymer stabilised cholesteric liquid crystals with ionic dopants

The electro-optic response of polymer stabilised cholesteric liquid crystals can manifest as switching, tuning, or bandwidth broadening. The electro-optic response of these composites is attributed to the delocalisation of the ion-containing, structurally chiral polymer stabilising network to a DC bias. Upon removal of the electric field, the original reflective properties return within seconds. Prior reports have hypothesized that the polymer network trap ionic impurities during polymerization. Here, we explore this hypothesis by introducing ionic liquids as well as copolymerizing ionic monomers into the polymer network. This work further elucidates the contribution of ionic species to the electrochemical properties of the composite material as well as the associated impact on electro-optic performance. [GRAPHICS] .