Textural and electro-optical study of a room temperature nematic liquid crystal 4?-pentyl-4-biphenylcarbonitrile doped with metal oxide nanowires in planar and in-plane switching cell configurations

Abstract

This work shows the doping effect of metal oxide nanowires (alumina nanowires) on the textural and electro-optical characteristics of nematic liquid crystal (5CB) in planar and in-plane switching (IPS) cell configurations. Results indicate the increase in nematic to isotropic phase transition temperature after doping in both planar and IPS cells. A decrease in threshold voltage in addition to increase in contrast ratio, birefringence, and band gap energy was observed after doping with alumina nanowires in both types of cells. Overall analysis shows that IPS cell configuration has more improved threshold voltage and contrast ratio in addition to decrease in birefringence and transmission intensity, as compared to planar cell configuration. No effect of cell configuration was observed on energy band gap and found same value for both planar and IPS cell configurations, as energy band gap is a material specific property.