Optically Responsive Textile Application Based on Uniaxially Ordered Polymer-Liquid Crystal Microfibers

Abstract

This study discusses the fabrication and characterization of optically responsive microfibers with uniaxially ordered liquid crystal molecules at their core. The liquid crystal microfibers were electrospun from a solution of PVP (polyvinylpyrrolidone) and MBBA (N-(4-Methoxybenzylidene)-4- butylaniline) using absolute alcohol as a solvent. Two parallel copper (Cu) collectors were used to obtain ordered fibers. The microfibers with oriented LC were well fabricated at a voltage of 5 kV; the distance between the needle and the collectors was 10 cm. The light intensity that passed through the LC microfibers depended on the diameter of the needle and the PVP concentration during the electrospinning process. A thermal-optical analysis revealed that the fibers were responsive to temperature. The rise of temperature resulted in a dark pattern of the fibers under a polarized optical microscope (POM) while the fibers were re-shined as the temperature was lowered. A DSC measurement confirmed that the LC molecules were confined in the fibers.