Liquid Crystals (LCs) at Various Wavelengths of Light
Lead Research Organisation:
University of York
Department Name: Chemistry
Abstract
Liquid crystals are found in every day devices such as flat panel displays. They were first introduced in watch displays, and the nematic materials which were invented in Hull provided the first suitable stable materials for practical applications. Thus the UK science base (Hull, BDH and RSRE) were behind the development of today's enormous display industry. Since the watch displays were commercialised in the 1970's, LCDs have grown bigger both in terms of physical size and market share. Chemical and Engineering News recently indicated the market would reach over 55m displays per annum by 2009, and now there are as many LCDs in the world as there are people. The new liquid crystal grouping at York has brought experts together with a view to exploiting the properties of liquid crystals, but at various wavelengths of light outside the visible range, for example in the ultra-violet, infra-red and terahertz ranges. Our objective is to develop liquid crystals that can operate in these ranges, so that prototype novel switches, light modulators and gates can be made. Such devices we believe will have applications in the fields of security, sensors, telecommunications etc.
Organisations
Publications
Addis J
(2016)
Second-harmonic generation and the influence of flexoelectricity in the nematic phases of bent-core oxadiazoles
in Liquid Crystals
Archer P
(2008)
Probing the material properties and phase transitions of ferroelectric liquid crystals by determination of the Landau potential.
in The European physical journal. E, Soft matter
Belaissaoui A
(2013)
Chirally Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Dendritic Liquid Crystals
in Macromolecules
Belaissaoui A
(2012)
Supermolecular chiral mesogenic tripedes.
in Chemistry (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)
Buluy O
(2012)
Influence of Surface Treatment of Ferromagnetic Nanoparticles on Properties of Thermotropic Nematic Liquid Crystals
in Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals
Campidelli S
(2010)
Diastereoisomerically pure fulleropyrrolidines as chiral platforms for the design of optically active liquid crystals.
in Journal of the American Chemical Society
Campidelli S
(2006)
An optically-active liquid-crystalline hexa-adduct of [60]fullerene which displays supramolecular helical organization.
in Chemical communications (Cambridge, England)
Chambert S
(2007)
Synthesis and Thermotropic Behavior of Simple New Glucolipid Amides
in Journal of Carbohydrate Chemistry
Cowling S
(2011)
Anthraquinone Liquid crystal dichroic dyes - a new form of chromonic dye?
in Liquid Crystals
Cowling S
(2014)
Handbook of Liquid Crystals
| Description | A wide variety of novel materials with unusual physical properties were developed leading to new design concepts for soft matter materials. The applications of the materials were directed towards displays, sensors, biomedical engineering etc. We have also found from our initial studies on microphase segregation that we can prepare materials that are very soluble in organic solvents such as hexane, particularly dyes prepared in our recent EPSRC program on Nanoscale Engineering of Dyes. We are now looking at protecting the work via patents. The patent applications of the work have recently spread to a broader range of materials, including oliogomers, OLEDs, ferroelectrics etc, thereby creating a number of future opportunities for research in numerous different areas. In addition this has also lead to novel methods of material design that include computer simulations. |
| Exploitation Route | Many of the design concepts for materials have underpinned future grants, and are being used by other across the world. Already we are talking to device manufacturers about liquid crystal projection devices that operate at 8K, twice the resolution of conventional TV, and manufacturers of switches for fibre optic communications that can operate at an order of magnitude faster than current nematic based technology. At the moment this work is confidential because it may involve spin-off developments. |
| Sectors | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Chemicals,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education,Electronics |
| Description | Materials produced have been used by many other academic groups for their research, particularly in the areas of physics and device engineering. New areas have been developed based on the work of liquid crystals with bent structures, either bent core or bent dimers. The work from the platform grant has underpinned successive research and funding by EPSRC. The long term outcome is that we are now involved with patent applications, collaborations with large USA high tech companies, and new research that is underpinning the machining of materials at nano-macroscale interface. These achievements would not have been possible without the flexibility of the platform grant. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2008 |
| Sector | Chemicals,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education,Electronics |
| Impact Types | Economic |
| Description | DSTL |
| Amount | £35,858 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (DSTL) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 05/2013 |
| End | 09/2014 |
| Description | EPSRC |
| Amount | £303,280 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/G023611/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 06/2009 |
| End | 06/2012 |
| Description | EPSRC |
| Amount | £673,291 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | R1372201 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2012 |
| End | 02/2015 |
| Description | European Science Foundation |
| Amount | £609,720 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/E064299/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2007 |
| End | 03/2010 |
| Description | Halation Photonics Corporation |
| Amount | £100,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | R1303101 (York Ref) |
| Organisation | Halation Photonics |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | China |
| Start | 05/2010 |
| End | 03/2011 |
| Description | Royal Society of London |
| Amount | £382,555 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | DH090208 |
| Organisation | The Royal Society |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | Silberline Ltd |
| Amount | £50,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | Roooooo |
| Organisation | Silberline Ltd |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | Technology Partnership Plc (The) |
| Amount | £178,833 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | R1206501 (York Ref) |
| Organisation | Technology Partnership Plc |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 12/2008 |
| End | 06/2010 |
| Description | Yorkshire Enterprise Fellowship |
| Amount | £30,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | A0062101 (York Ref) |
| Organisation | Yorkshire Forward |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 05/2008 |
| End | 05/2009 |
| Description | CAPE University of Cambridge |
| Organisation | University of Cambridge |
| Department | Centre for Advanced Photonics and Electronics (CAPE) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Materials - dyes and liquid crystals - for test purposes |
| Collaborator Contribution | Evaluation of materials in various devices and conditions |
| Impact | Just started so no outcomes yet |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Kingston Chemicals Ltd |
| Organisation | University of Hull |
| Department | Kingston Chemicals |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Kingston Chemicals sometimes receives early view of information from us on materials that have have been synthesized by our research group. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Kingston Chemicals is a small company which produces bornic acids and other intermediates for the synthesis of liquid crystals, at no cost to us. The company has provided us with reasonable quantities of desirable intermediates for our synthesis projects. Many of these materials are either too expensive to purchase or are not commercially available. Thus Kingston is a valued supplier for our synthetic programmes. |
| Impact | A number of joint research articles have been published, and mixture formulations for ferroelectric liquid crystals have been developed which are sometimes used to support the research in academic physics laboratories in the UK and EU. |
| Start Year | 2006 |
| Description | Liquid Crystalline Glycolipids |
| Organisation | National Institute of Applied Sciences of Lyon |
| Country | France |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Analysis of the liquid crystalline and self-organizing properties of biologically related glycolipids |
| Collaborator Contribution | Synthesis of novel materials of high purity for analysis |
| Impact | 2 Book Chapters, 8 publications, award of Honorary Doctorate to Goodby |
| Start Year | 2006 |
| Description | The Victoria University of Manchester |
| Organisation | University of Manchester |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Our collaborations with the Department of Physics of the University of Manchester (Professor Gleeson) started around 1990 and have lasted to today. Our work basically involved Hull and then York Universities, which have hosted the Liquid Crystals and Advanced Materials Research Group, and was directed towards synthesizing organic materials, low molar mass and polymers, which had practical uses in displays and sensors, or in fundamental or in modelling soft matter systems. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Physical and engineering investigations of materials we have either designed together, materials we have invented, or literature materials of interest to Manchester. |
| Impact | Our collaborations are multidisciplinary, and we have had shared grants, and published in excess of 40 papers together. Our most important success was in the fundamental investigations of the structures of ferrielectric liquid crystals by resonance X-ray diffraction. |
| Start Year | 2006 |
| Title | LIQUID CRYSTAL COMPOUNDS |
| Description | The present invention relates to improved liquid crystal compounds which contain a mesogenic core which comprises a group of sub-formula (i) wherein R3 and R4 are independently selected from hydrogen, halogen or CF3, provided at least one of R3 or R4 is selected from halogen or CF3. The sub-formula (i) group may be located at any position within the mesogenic core of the liquid crystal compound, either at the terminus of the liquid crystal core or alternatively substantially in the middle of the liquid crystal core. The compounds of the invention provide compounds which when added to LC mixtures provide increasing birefringence, lowering of melting points, lowering clearing points, and lowering viscosities. These compounds and mixtures may find particular use in imaging or display media, such as monitors or televisions. |
| IP Reference | WO2010012994 |
| Protection | Patent application published |
| Year Protection Granted | 2010 |
| Licensed | Commercial In Confidence |
| Impact | Synthesis of related materials for ferroelectric host liquid crystals |
| Description | Public Lectures/Teaching |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | We Have lectured/taught/entertained numerous public/educational events from schools to Christmas Lectures, to large scale public lectures, and from science to art, and all with demonstrations. we have done schools lectures from classes of 10 upwards, to cafe scientific for about 50, to large auditoriums for the public and Science Conferences for up to 250. We expect be doing city performances in the coming year, these will be major events for entertaining the public, and may be held in Museums and Council auditoriums, where we will also be using films and music in addition to our demonstrations etc. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2006,2007,2009,2011,2012,2013,2015,2016 |