Impact of ZnO nanosphere on ionic conductivity and dielectric relaxation of nematic liquid crystal

Abstract

Liquid crystal (LC) devices, including displays, switchable optical components, and sensors, are widely used today. The fundamental physical properties of LCs can be controlled through external physical fields, allowing for dynamic configuration, and can also be modified by incorporating nanoparticles. Ions present in a minuscule amount can affect the reorientation of liquid crystals through the screening effect at the interfaces. Dielectric relaxation, which impacts switching time through the dipole dispersion phenomenon, gets altered by the incorporation of nanoparticles in the bulk regime. Therefore, understanding the effects of nanoparticle dispersion in liquid crystals is crucial for both existing and emerging technologies that rely on LC materials. Here, we present the dielectric spectroscopy results of ZnO nanosphere-incorporated nematic liquid crystal (E7), using an electric field as an external stimulus. In this study, we have synthesized the ZnO nanospheres and dispersed these ZnO nanospheres in E7 at various concentrations. We found that 0.02 wt.% of ZnO nanosphere dispersed in the E7 mixture exhibits a reduction of ionic conductivity as well as relaxation frequency.