Electrooptical characterizations of polymer stabilized cholesteric liquid crystals

Several monomers were added to a cholesteric liquid crystal to obtain after irradiation a polymer stabilized cholesteric texture (PSCT). For that use, two monomers were synthesized. The influence of the nature of the monomer (nematic or cholesteric) and of its structure is investigated as well as parameters such as the UV irradiation. Some of the characteristics of the PSCT can be correlated to the interactions between the polymer network and the low molecular mass liquid crystal molecules. A broadening of the reflection band can also be obtained with such monomers and is also discussed with the aspect of the interactions polymer network/liquid crystal molecules.