A review on the emerging applications of 4-cyano-4′-alkylbiphenyl (nCB) liquid crystals beyond display

Liquid crystal-based technologies have evolved explosively over these last few decades in other than display applications. One of the examples is 4-Cyano-4′-alkylbiphenyl (nCB), which is a well-known thermotropic liquid crystal (LC) material, commonly used in numerous advanced photonic materials and electro-optical devices. Owing to their uncomplicated method of synthesis and high optical birefringence, these molecules have been very well characterised by noticeable and efficient use in optical instruments. The present review emphasizes on the molecular structure, synthesis, crystal data and LC properties of the various nCB materials. Further, their latest applications in the fields of sensors, smart windows, liquid crystal lenses, PV cells, supercapacitors and drug delivery have been covered in detail beyond their regular display applications. This review will encourage researchers to carry out further research into the diverse applications of LC molecules.