Electrical Freedericksz transitions in nematic liquid crystals containing ferroelectric nanoparticles

•A formula for Freedericksz transition voltage in a mixture of NLC and ferroelectric particles.•The transiton threshold decreases when the nematic director is parallel to nanoparticle.The transiton threshold increases when the nematic director is perpendicular to the nanoparticle.•The transiton threshold decreases when the nematic director is parallel to nanoparticle.•We evaluated the anchoring energy of the LC molecules in a mixture of 5CB and BaTiO3.

A new theoretical approach was elaborated to explain the contradictions reported in many papers about the electric threshold for Freedericksz transition in nematic liquid crystal (NLC) with ferroparticles additives. The free energy density of the mixture was estimated and the contributions of the interaction energy of NLC molecules with ferroparticles surface were calculated. Experimental results for 5CB-BaTiO3 mixture are given.