Dielectric Study of Multiwall Carbon Nanotube Dispersed Nematic Liquid Crystal Mixture

Abstract

In the present work, multiwall carbon nanotube dispersed/doped nematic liquid crystal mixture have been synthesized by ultrasonication technique and studied using dielectric spectroscopy tools in the frequency range of 10 kHz-40 MHz. We have observed that the dielectric permittivity, loss and relaxation frequency of a nematic liquid crystal (MBBA) are influenced by the presence of multiwall carbon nanotube as a function of frequency and temperature. The value of dielectric permittivity increases with the dispersion of multiwall carbon nanotube due to π-π interaction of MWCNT and LC molecules. However, an increase in relaxation frequency is also found in dispersed samples. The MWCNT with almost identical size within themselves are dispersed at 0.5% concentration into nematic LC. The MWCNT-nematic LC composites are not only of fundamental importance, but also useful materials for device applications such as liquid crystal displays.