Research of nanofibres loaded with ultraviolet absorber to increase the wavewidth of cholesteric liquid crystals

In this study, polymer-stabilized cholesteric liquid crystal (PSCLC) films with high broad-wave reflection were prepared by using nanofibre films loaded with UV absorbers as carriers. The nanofibre films were prepared by electrostatic spinning technique and the uniform distribution of the UV absorber on the nanofibre films was ensured by adjusting the spinning parameters. In order to obtain the maximum pitch inhomogeneous distribution, a series of studies were carried out on the thickness of the nanofibre films, the content of the loaded UV absorber in the nanofibre films and the UV light intensity. By screening different experimental conditions, the optimum conditions for broadening the reflection band were obtained, widening the reflection bandwidth from 236 nm to 700 nm and performing well in the application experiments. The prepared cholesteric liquid crystal films with broadband reflection properties have potential applications in many fields such as light-enhancing films, smart windows, infrared shielding devices and laser protective coatings.