Photoconductivity of ionic thermotropic liquid crystal with semiconductor nanoparticles

The characteristics of photocurrent are investigated in new nanocomposites of cadmium octanoate with semiconductor nanoparticles (NPs) as well as in pure matrix of the cadmium octanoate. CdS NPs are synthesized inside the cadmium octanoate matrix during one-step chemical reaction. The photoconductivity in these nanocomposites has been detected in wide temperature range. The photocurrent exhibits nonlinear behavior over all different mesophases of the nanocomposites. Two types of near-electrode processes that occur depending on the value of applied voltage are considered to explain the nonlinear dependence of the current-voltage characteristics.