Electro-optical study of chiral nematic liquid crystal/chiral ionic liquid composites with electrically controllable selective reflection characteristics.

A chiral nematic liquid crystal (N*-LC)/chiral ionic liquid (CIL) composite with unique electro-optical characteristics was prepared and filled into a planar treated cell. When an electric field was applied to the cell, the anions and the cations of CIL moved towards the anode and the cathode of the power supply, respectively, thus forming a density gradient of the chiral groups, which resulted in wideband reflection. By adjusting the intensity of the electric field, the reflection bandwidth can be controlled accurately and reversibly. Moreover, the electric field-induced states can be memorized after the applied electric field is turned off. The reflective properties of the composite are investigated in the visible and near-infrared region, respectively. Additionally, the changes of the reflection bandwidths with the intensity and the applied time of the electric field were also investigated. From scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigations, the mechanism of the electrically controllable reflection was demonstrated. Potential applications of the composite are related to reflective, color electronic paper (E-paper) and smart reflective windows for the solar light management.