Electro-optic properties of liquid crystal devices doped with cucurbit(6)uril-protected zirconia nanowires

Zirconia protected by cucurbit(6)uril nanoparticles were prepared by using a microwave reactor equipped with ultrasonic nozzle mixing at 240 degrees C for 30 min in a tetraethylene glycol solution of zirconium (IV) ethoxide in the presence of cucurbit(6) uril. Particles in cucurbit(6)uril-protected ZrO2 nanoparticles had an average diameter of 7.4 nm and mainly distribute within the range of about 4-11 nm. Cucurbit(6)uril-protected ZrO2 nanowires were prepared by refluxing method at 240 degrees C for 5-20 min. The average width and length of cucurbit(6) uril-protected ZrO2 nanowires were 240 nm and 13.7 mu m, respectively. Cucurbit(6) uril-protected ZrO2 nanowires were mixed with 4'-pentylbiphenyl-4-carbonitrile at room temperature resulting in a liquid crystal sol of 4'-pentylbiphenyl-4-carbonitrile containing 0.075 wt% of total metal. The response time of this twisted nematic liquid crystal devices in the presence of cucurbit ZrO2 nanowires was faster than that in the absence. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.