Phase and dielectric behaviors of a polymorphic liquid crystal doped with graphene nanoplatelets

Abstract

We report on the phase behavior and dielectric properties of the liquid crystal (LC) 4′-n-octyloxy-4-cyanobiphenyl dispersed with graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs). The temperature-dependent dielectric permittivity at 104 Hz and its derivative with respect to the temperature reveal that the incorporation of GNPs in a LC cell leads to the modification of crystalline polymorphism and shift in phase transition temperature owing to the enhanced positional and orientational order. Additionally, the dielectric data between 1 and 103 Hz show that the dopant reduces the ionic concentration and alters the diffusivity in the LC mesophases.