Cholesteric liquid crystal polymer network patterns prepared by inkjet printing of inks with a fluorinated diacrylate liquid crystal

Abstract

Diacrylate liquid crystals have been widely used in fabricating cholesteric liquid crystal polymer network (CLCN) patterns through various methods. In this work, a series of laterally fluorinated diacrylate liquid crystals were synthesised using fluorinated p-hydroxybenzoic acids as precursors. The introduction of lateral fluoro-substituents leads to a decrease in both melting and clearing points. A representative diacrylate was employed to fabricate CLCN patterns via inkjet printing. To ensure uniform structural colours, each region of the pattern must be printed with a single ink. Notably, light can be emitted from defects on the CLCN film surface, enabling fluorescent dye-doped CLCN patterns to serve as functional materials for decoration and anti-counterfeiting applications.