Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals, Vol.478, 883-889, 2007
Optical transmission and conductivity of nematic liquid crystals containing dispersed multiwall nanotubes
For nematic liquid crystals (LC) with small (0.01-0.15wt%,) concentration of multiwall nanotubes (NT) dispersed therein, optical transmission and electric Conductivity were measured as a function of temperature. Characteristic changes in transmission at the nematic-isotropic phase transition temperature have been noted, suggesting that NT dispersed in the LC matrix behave in a manner similar to that of the conventional non-mesogenic dopants. This picture is supported by the electrical conductivity data. The electrical conductivity increased noticeably within similar to 0.01-0.1 wt% range of NT concentrations in the LC matrix, and a marked difference in the measured electrical conductivity values for the LC matrices of different polarity (e.g., cyanobiphenyl and azoxy) was observed.
Keywords:conductivity;nanotubes;nematic liquid crystals;non-mesogenic dopants;optical transmission;phase transition