Issue 5, 2023

Liquid phase IR detector based on the photothermal effect of reduced graphene oxide-doped liquid crystals

Abstract

Owing to the additional functionalities endowed by nanoparticle dopants, liquid crystals doped with nanoparticles are promising optical materials in a wide range of applications. In this study, we exploited the photothermal effect of reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-doped 5CB nematic liquid crystals (LC-rGO) to develop an infrared (IR) detector that is not only sensitive to IR but also measures the temperature and energy deposited in the detector. We demonstrate that rGO doping in LCs significantly enhances the IR absorption and transforms the light energy into thermal energy through the photothermal effect. The changes in the orientational order and birefringence of the LC-rGO induced by the photothermal effect under IR irradiation were manifested as an instantaneous color change in the white light probe beam. The change in the probe beam intensity was further translated into a temperature change and energy deposited in the detector. We also demonstrated that the external voltage applied to the detector significantly amplifies the photothermal responsivity by compensating for the anchoring energy of the LC. This study proposes a novel technology for detecting IR, temperature, and energy deposited in the detector by means of visible light, which has significant potential for developing large-area and high-resolution IR detectors by exploiting mature liquid crystal display technologies.

Graphical abstract: Liquid phase IR detector based on the photothermal effect of reduced graphene oxide-doped liquid crystals

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
07 Nov 2022
Accepted
02 Jan 2023
First published
03 Jan 2023

Nanoscale, 2023,15, 2061-2066

Liquid phase IR detector based on the photothermal effect of reduced graphene oxide-doped liquid crystals

M. A. Adeshina, H. Lee, B. Mareddi, D. Kang, A. M. Ogunleye, H. Kim, T. Kim, M. Choi, H. Park and J. Park, Nanoscale, 2023, 15, 2061 DOI: 10.1039/D2NR06220H

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements