Designated ligand functionalization of gold nanoparticles for optimizing blue-phase liquid crystal composites
Authors: Orzechowski Kamil , Wasiluk Martyna , Jabłoński Konrad , Milewska Weronika , Strzeżysz Olga , Wang Chun-Ta , Lewandowski Wiktor , Woliński Tomasz 
Published: December 2024

This work presents the impact of the composition of the organic shell of 4 nm gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) on the optical properties and stability of the nanoparticle-doped blue-phase liquid crystals (BPLCs). Particularly, we show that the binary shell of NPs, comprising LC-like ligands, can significantly enhance the thermal stability of BPs. Moreover, modifying the shell composition enables control over the Bragg wavelength of BPLCs. Our findings highlight the potential of ligand-functionalized Au NPs to optimize BPLC-based photonic devices, emphasizing ligand functionalization as a crucial factor for improving stability of NPs, and controlling BPLC properties. Full Text: PDF References

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