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Effect of Functionalized CNT on Nematic anchoring

Nematic phase is the most fundamental mesophase exhibited by most of the rod shaped anisotropic liquid crystalline molecules. Nematics are orientationally ordered fluids whose average orientation direction can be manipulated on application of electric and magnetic fields. Carbon nanotube (CNT), a highly shape anisotropic object can find numerous industrial application because of its interesting electronic and mechanical properties. The self-organizing properties of nematics can be used to align CNTs dispersed in them. We have dispersed functionalized CNTs in nematic liquid crystal and carried out many experimental studies. We will present results of electro-optic switching and dielectric measurements on some CNT-LC dispersion. We have observed that addition of functionalized CNTs in a liquid crystal (LC) has led to improvement in the nematic ordering which is evidential from enhancement in dielectric anisotropy (De) measurement. These results indicate that the anchoring energy at alignment layers has been influenced by presence of FCNT in the LC host. The anchoring enhancement can be attributed to p-p electron stacking between the FCNT, LC and the alignment layer.