Incorporation of LCs into flexible materials and fibers have potential to pave the way for development of improved wearable electronics and adaptive color textiles. Nanoscale confinement of LCs can impart additional dynamic effects, such as shifts in thermal transition temperatures or elimination of specific phases.  Here, two nematic liquid crystals, <i>N</i>-(methoxybenzylidene)-4-butylaniline (MBBA) and 4-cyano-4’-pentylbiphenyl (5CB), were separately incorporated into two polymers through coaxial electrospinning. The effects of fiber diameter and polymer composition on encapsulated liquid crystal behavior were evaluated using polarized optical microscopy, SEM, DSC, and dielectric relaxation spectroscopy. 2D mapping polarized Raman spectroscopy provided new insight into the length scales of the effects of fiber diameter and interfacial interactions on polarization dependence of encapsulated liquid crystals. Effects of liquid crystal composition and LC-polymer interface on director orientation and polarization dependence are discussed.<br/>

Effects on the interface and bulk of liquid crystal phases encapsulated in polymer fibers

256th National Meeting (2018)

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