Blue Phase Liquid Crystal Composite Material for Low Voltage Displays
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Blue phase liquid crystal displays face challenges with high driving voltage and electro-optical hysteresis due to the strong constraining effect of polymer networks on liquid crystal molecules, leading to reduced display life and performance.
Innovation Solution
A blue phase liquid crystal composite material is developed through photopolymerization of a parent blue phase liquid crystal, a photo-polymerizable monomer, a photoinitiator, and inorganic nanoparticles, which reduces driving voltage and eliminates electro-optical hysteresis by increasing the Kerr constant and dielectric constant, and stabilizing the liquid crystal under electric fields.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a polymer network is formed to improve stability in electric field, then reliability is improved, but the strong constraining effect on liquid crystal molecules causes high driving voltage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the polymer network by incorporating specific monomers (including liquid crystal monomers and non-liquid crystal monomers) and controlling their ratios. This modifies the network's constraining properties to reduce driving voltage while maintaining stability. The photopolymerization process parameters are also optimized to control network formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite material system combining parent blue phase liquid crystal, polymer network, and inorganic nanoparticles. This composite structure allows the polymer network to provide stability while the liquid crystal components and nanoparticles work together to reduce the constraining effect and lower driving voltage requirements.
2Reliability
If a polymer network is formed to improve stability in electric field, then reliability is improved, but electro-optical hysteresis occurs due to phase transition in strong electric fields
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the polymer network formation parameters through photopolymerization, controlling the crosslinking density and network structure. This changes the mechanical constraints on liquid crystal molecules, preventing excessive phase transitions in strong electric fields and eliminating electro-optical hysteresis while preserving field-induced alignment stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates local variations in the polymer network structure through the use of different monomers and their specific ratios. This results in regions with different constraining strengths, allowing the system to maintain stability in normal operation while avoiding the uniform strong constraint that causes hysteresis in strong electric fields.
3Stability of the object's composition
If monomer content in polymeric blue phase liquid crystal is less than 10 wt%, then the material maintains blue phase properties, but the polymeric network is very prone to deformation under electric field damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the monomer content parameter within the 10-30 wt% range and controls the photopolymerization degree to achieve a balanced polymer network density. This creates a network that is stable enough to resist electric field deformation while maintaining sufficient blue phase liquid crystal content for proper optical properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates inorganic nanoparticles into the polymeric blue phase liquid crystal composite. These nanoparticles reinforce the polymer network structure, providing additional resistance to electric field-induced deformation while the polymer matrix maintains the blue phase liquid crystal properties through controlled monomer content and photopolymerization.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The composite material achieves a significant reduction in driving voltage, stability, and rapid response to electric fields, with minimal electro-optical hysteresis, enhancing the performance and longevity of blue phase liquid crystal displays.
Implementation Method 1
a blue phase liquid crystal composite material formed by photopolymerization of material components comprising: a parent blue phase liquid crystal, a photo-polymerizable monomer, a photoinitiator, and inorganic nanoparticles
Implementation Method 2
which reduces driving voltage and eliminates electro-optical hysteresis by increasing the Kerr constant and dielectric constant
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure relates to a blue phase liquid crystal composite material formed by photopolymerization of material components comprising a parent blue phase liquid crystal, a photo-polymerizable monomer, a photoinitiator, and inorganic nanoparticles; and to a liquid crystal display comprising the blue phase liquid crystal composite material. The blue phase liquid crystal composite material has a low driving voltage, no electro-optical hysteresis, and rapid response time to an electric field.