Electro-optical properties of a liquid crystalline colloidal solution of rod shaped V2O5 nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes in an alternating current electric field

We study the liquid crystalline phase behaviour of the two-component aqueous colloidal suspensions of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and rod-like vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) nanoparticles. The phase diagram features a stable nematic phase in a wide range of concentration of solid components. The oriented nematic phase of the two-component suspension was exposed to the action of alternating current electric field. A variation in MWCNTs concentration within 0.01-0.51 wt.% demonstrates a significant increase in the optical response of the system to the applied electric field.