Self-assembled fibers photopolymerized in nematic liquid crystals: stable electrooptical switching in light-scattering mode.

Liquid-crystalline (LC) gels showing stable light-scattering electrooptical properties have been prepared by the photopolymerization of a gelator forming self-assembled fibers in a room-temperature nematic liquid crystal. A polymerizable gelator having methacryloyl moieties self-assembles into finely dispersed fibers in the nematic liquid crystal, resulting in the formation of LC physical gels. Photopolymerization of the gelator in the gel states leads to the preparation of cross-linked fibrous networks. The LC polydomain structures effective for light-scattering electrooptical switching are kept after polymerization. The polymerized LC gels show stable reversible switching of electrooptical responses with enhanced threshold properties between 0 and 70 V.