Single walled carbon nanotubes persuaded optimization of the thermodynamic, electrical and electro-optical characteristics of a room temperature liquid crystal display material “4-pentyl-4′ cyanobiphenyl”

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes, extreme-aspect ratio cylinders with walls of sp2 hybridized carbon atoms, have many interesting and highly anisotropic physical properties such as high electrical and thermal conductivity or mechanical rigidity along the tube axis. Nematics are orientationally ordered fluids whose average orientation direction can be manipulated on application of electric and magnetic fields. The self-organizing properties of nematics can be used to align the carbon nanotubes dispersed in them. In the present work, we have dispersed single walled carbon nanotubes (of 2 nm dia) in a room temperature nematic liquid crystal 4-pentyl-4′cyanobiphenyl and carried out many experimental studies.