Dynamic Orientation of Silver Nanowires via Photoalignment for Liquid Crystal Display Technology

Abstract

The fabrication and manipulation of tunable micro- and macro-domain silver nanowires (AgNWs) remains challenging. In this letter, we explored the dispersion, orientation, reorientation, order parameters, twist nematic structures, and in-plane and vertical dynamic switching of AgNWs dispersed in a liquid crystal (LC) host. The order parameter of the orientational AgNWs is 0.91–0.94. Three-dimensional (3D) orientation and reorientation of AgNWs could be achieved through photoalignment and an electric field. This study reveals that the alignment of AgNWs is promising in the fabrication of liquid crystal display and optoelectronic devices, and it exhibits a variety of useful behaviors in the LC hosts of both theoretical and practical interest.