Unique Polymer-Stabilized Liquid Crystal Structure Prepared by Addition of a Reversible Addition–Fragmentation Chain Transfer Agent

Polymer-stabilized liquid crystals (PSLCs) are important electrically switchable materials due to their superior electro-optical properties. Nevertheless, it remains a formidable challenge to balance PSLCs' instant electro-optical performance and long-term durability due to their relatively low polymer content and the related sensitivity to external force. Herein, we demonstrate the possibility of regulating the polymer network structure in PSLCs via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization reactions of acrylate monomers with a chain transfer agent (CTA). By controlling the concentration of CTA and conditions of photopolymerization, the kinetics of the polymerization reaction can be modified. Compared to conventional free-radical (FR) polymerization, the reduced chain growth rate leads to sufficient chain relaxation, reorientation of liquid crystal (LC) directors, and alleviation of shrinkage stresses in the RAFT polymerization process. This in turn produces an ordered polymer network structure in the vertical direction and a uniform distribution in the horizontal plane. As a result, the PSLC network presents increased elasticity with a lower hysteresis effect and greatly improved durability. Our research offers insightful guidance for the fine-tuning of polymer network structures to prepare advanced LC/polymer composite structures with outstanding performances.