Electro-optical and dielectric properties of polymer-stabilized blue phase liquid crystal impregnated with a fluorine-containing compound

The effects of a fluorine-containing compound (4,4′-difluorobenzophenone; DF) on the electro-optical and dielectric properties of polymer-stabilized blue phase (PSBP) liquid crystals were investigated. When a PSBP cell was driven by an in-plane electric field, the addition of DF up to 2.7 wt% effectively reduced the operation voltage by ~ 30%. Further inspection by dielectric spectroscopy indicated that the ionic concentration in PSBP decreased with increasing loading of DF. This finding can be ascribed to the complexation of impurity ions near the ketone group and carbon-fluorine bonds of the DF compound that restrained the ion transport after photopolymerization. As a result, the DF compound can be regarded as a superior ion-suppressor, enabling the reduction in the ionic effect and, in turn, the promotion of the electro-optical response of a PSBP.