Monodisperse PDLC composites generated by use of polyvinyl alcohol boric acid as matrix

Abstract

A polymer dispersed liquid crystal composite (PDLC) based on polyvinyl alcohol boric acid (PVAB) as polymer matrix and 4-cyano-4′-penthylbiphenyl (5CB) as liquid crystal has been prepared by an encapsulation method. PVAB was used as a polymer matrix for the first time. Polarized light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and contact angle measurements were employed to explore the obtained PDLC systems. Optical properties were studied by photoluminescence spectroscopy. It was concluded that PVAB promotes homeotropic alignment, uniform distribution and narrow size polydispersity of the liquid crystal droplets. Moreover, the PDLC films show features of biocompatible materials, keeping the promise of their bioapplications.