Fabrication of highly efficient coatable polarizer from tolane-based smectic reactive mesogen. (2nd August 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: He, Rui; Oh, Enche; Ye, Yang; Wen, Pushan; Jeong, Kwang-Un; Lee, Seung Hee; Li, Xiang-Dan; Lee, Myong-Hoon
• Is Part Of: Polymer. Volume 176(2019)
• Page Start: 51
• Page End: 59
• Publication Date: 2019-08-02
• Subjects: Reactive mesogen -- Smectic phase -- In-situ polymerization -- Host-guest system -- Coatable polarizer; Polymers -- Periodicals; Polymerization -- Periodicals; Polymères -- Périodiques; Polymérisation -- Périodiques; 547.7
• DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2019.05.032
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0032-3861

Abstract

Abstract: This work is aimed to fabricate ultra-thin coatable polarizers on a single substrate based on "host-guest" effect between highly ordered smectic reactive mesogen (RM) and dichroic dye. We designed and synthesized a new tolane-based RM with a highly ordered smectic A phase at room temperature. Polymerizable "host-guest" mixture was formulated from the host RM, dichroic dye and additives, then spin-coated on a single substrate having an alignment layer. Subsequent in-situ photopolymerization by UV irradiation successfully resulted in a coatable polarizer with good polarizing properties. The fabricated coatable polarizer showed a dichroic ratio (DR) of 16.4 and a degree of polarization (DOP) of 99.3% with the thickness of 4 μm. The resulting coatable polarizer possessed a considerable solvent resistance, good thermal stability and robust mechanical properties. Moreover, we prepared a TN-mode LC cell by using the prepared coatable polarizers inside the cell (in-cell), in which the coatable polarizers acted as a polarizer and an alignment layer, simultaneously. The resulting TN cell with in-cell polarizers exhibited a decent electro-optical behavior. We believe that the coatable polarizer proposed in this study possesses practical application potential in ultra-thin LCDs or flexible OLEDs. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: Reactive mesogen with smectic A phase was synthesized for coatable polarizer. Coatable polarizer was fabricated on a single substrate by "host-guest" method. Coatable polarizer exhibits considerable optical property and excellent stability. LCD with in-cell structure was demonstrated by using the prepared coatable polarizer.