Integration of polymer-dispersed liquid crystal composites with conducting polymer thin films toward the fabrication of flexible display devices

A short review on the current development in all-organic PDLC (Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal) “light valves” using conducting polymer thin films as the driving electrodes is presented in this article. Due to conducting polymers’ better mechanical and interfacial compatibility with plastic substrates, integration of driving electrodes based on conducting polymer thin films in display devices can have some advantages over ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) for the improvement of display devices’ mechanical flexibility. As rigid alignment structures on the substrates sandwiching the liquid crystal components are not required, PDLC-type devices intrinsically can better tolerate mechanical bending than other types of LCD devices. With the integration of conducting polymer thin films as the driving electrodes, it can be expected that the flexibility of PDLC devices could be further enhanced.