Liquid Crystals and Carbon Nanotubes

The nano-materials doped liquid crystals (LCs) started new directions in various areas of science and technology and paved a way to fabricate better electro-optic devices. The doping of SWCNTs in LCs has been creating immense interest around the world in order to have improved electro-optic devices by controlling the alignment. Chapter 1 begins with introduction of liquid crystal phases and structure¿property relationships of the LC monomers and synthesis, types of carbon nanotubes. We reviewed their physical properties, electro-optic properties; effect of alignments, molecular architecture and future scope of the work is discussed in this chapter. Then finally literature is surveyed in Chapter 2, which reflects its practical applications and define the aim of present research work. Chapter 3 includes the experimental techniques used for preparation and characterization of dopant material in liquid crystals to determine their morphological, dielectric responses for the interpretation of results is also provided. Chapter 4 reflects the experimental studies on Ferroelectric LCs doped with nanotubes, presenting some interesting results.