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AIST TODAYNo.2 2001


A liquid Crystalline Material Applicable to Full-Color RewritableRecording in a Photon Mode

Nobuyuki TAMAOKI
Institute for Materials & Chemical Process
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We designed a new molecular system by combining photochromic compounds that change molecular structure by the action of light and liquid crystals that show different iridescent colors depending on the molecular alignment. In this system, information transfer from photochromic compounds to liquid crystals is regulated utilizing the glass-forming property of the liquid crystals. Medium molecular-weight liquid crystals made it possible to attain both stable molecular order in the glassy state and fast molecular re-alignment in the liquid crystalline state. This new molecular assembly responding light and temperature enables us to record color information repeatedly in a photon mode and is expected to be applied to the rewritable paper and card.

Figure Diagram of the structure of the cholesteric phase. Liquid crystals in the cholesteric phase reflect incident white light selectively, provided that the incident light has a wavelength satisfying the Bragg condition, l = nP

Relational Information
AIST Today Vol. 1, No. 3 (2001) 12-15


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