• Chinese Optics Letters
  • Vol. 20, Issue 9, 091602 (2022)
Yu Cao, Li Chong, Ke-Hui Wu, Lu-Qian You..., Sen-Sen Li and Lu-Jian Chen*|Show fewer author(s)
Author Affiliations
  • Department of Electronic Engineering, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
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    DOI: 10.3788/COL202220.091602 Cite this Article Set citation alerts
    Yu Cao, Li Chong, Ke-Hui Wu, Lu-Qian You, Sen-Sen Li, Lu-Jian Chen, "Dynamic coloration of polymerized cholesteric liquid crystal networks by infiltrating organic compounds," Chin. Opt. Lett. 20, 091602 (2022) Copy Citation Text show less

    Abstract

    We demonstrate the dynamic coloration of polymerized cholesteric liquid crystal (PCLC) networks templated by the “wash-out/refill” method in the presence of organic compounds. The reflection colors were modulated by two key approaches, that is, the injection of mutually soluble organic fluids into a microfluidic channel and the diffusion of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The reversible tuning of reflected colors with central wavelengths between 450nm and 600nm was achieved by alternative injection of nematic liquid crystal E7 (nav = 1.64) and benzyl alcohol (n = 1.54) using syringe pumps. The fascinating iridescence with reflection centers from 620nm to 410nm was presented from the volatilization and diffusion of alcohol as a model VOC. Additionally, the flow velocity of fluid and the diffusion time were adjusted to explore the underlying mechanism for the dynamic coloration of cholesteric networks. This work is expected to extend the study of PCLCs as a dynamically tunable optofluidic reflector, visually readable sensor, or compact anti-counterfeit label in response to organic compounds.
    (Δx)2=2D·t,

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    D=kiT/6πηia=C/ηi,

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    λ=nav·p,

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    Δλ=Δn·p=(neno)·p,

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    Yu Cao, Li Chong, Ke-Hui Wu, Lu-Qian You, Sen-Sen Li, Lu-Jian Chen, "Dynamic coloration of polymerized cholesteric liquid crystal networks by infiltrating organic compounds," Chin. Opt. Lett. 20, 091602 (2022)
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