Hybrid fluorescent cholesteric materials with controllable light emission containing CdSe/ZnS quantum dots stabilized by liquid crystalline block copolymer

Abstract

Hybrid fluorescent cholesteric liquid crystalline (CLC) materials are representatives of “smart” soft matter, and are characterized by light emission that can be flexibly controlled by various external stimuli. This fact is due to the many possibilities for potential applications in the fields of photonics and optics stimulating design, and study of this type of hybrid materials. Here, we report on the optical and fluorescence properties of the hybrid CLC material based on a low-molecular-weight CLC matrix and CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) stabilized by LC diblock copolymers. The hybrid CLC material is characterized by the cholesteric phase in a wide temperature range, the high loading of QDs, and no QD aggregation. We demonstrate that the cholesteric stop band alters characteristics of the QD emission due to the resonance effect. This makes the polarization state and wavelength of the QD emission thermo- and angle-dependent. This work provides a way for the design of a wide range of field-controllable photonic devices for various applications.