Tuning the Electrical Resistivity of Molecular Liquid Crystals for Electro-Optical Devices

Modern applications of molecular liquid crystals span from high-resolution displays for augmented and virtual reality to miniature tunable lasers, reconfigurable microwave devices for space exploration and communication, and tunable electro-optical elements, including spatial light modulators, waveguides, lenses, light shutters, filters, and waveplates, to name a few. The tunability of these devices is achieved through electric-field-induced reorientation of liquid crystals. Because the reorientation of the liquid crystals can be altered by ions normally present in mesogenic materials in minute quantities, resulting in their electrical resistivity having finite values, the development of new ways to control the concentration of the ions in liquid crystals is very important. A promising way to enhance the electrical resistivity of molecular liquid crystals is the addition of nano-dopants to low-resistivity liquid crystals. When nanoparticles capture certain ions, they immobilize them and increase their resistivity. If properly implemented, this method can convert low-resistivity liquid crystals into high-resistivity crystals. However, uncontrolled ionic contamination of the nanoparticles can significantly alter this process. In this paper, building on our previous work (Eng. Proc. 2023, 56(1), 199), we explore how physical parameters such as the size of the nanoparticles, their concentration, and their level of ionic contamination can affect the process of both enhancing and lowering the resistivity of the molecular liquid crystals. Additionally, we analyze the use of two types of nano-dopants to achieve better control over the electrical resistivity of molecular liquid crystals.