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Abstract. In this paper, the effects of SOR5, SOR10, and SOR15 nanoimpurities on the
value of the ionic conductivity of the homeotropically aligned nematic liquid crystal 6CB
are reported. Electrical measurements are carried out within a wide frequency range (from
6 Hz to 106 Hz) at room temperature (293 K). The largest changes in the electrical
conductivity occur in the low-frequency range (less than 103 Hz) and depend on the type of
nanoimpurity and on its concentration. Despite the similarity in the chemical composition
of SOR5, SOR10, and SOR15, the measured dependences of the electrical conductivity of
the studied samples on the concentration of nanoimpurities are substantially different. In
the case of the SOR10 impurity, the ionic component of the electrical conductivity depends
on the concentration of SOR10 according to a power law with an exponent approximately
equal to 0.5, which is typical for the bimolecular recombination of charge carriers (i.e., the
behavior of a weak electrolyte). Liquid crystal samples containing SOR5 and SOR15
nanoimpurities behave in a similar way in a low concentration region (between 0.01 and
0.05 mass %). Interestingly, further increase in the concentration of nanodopants
(>0.05 mass %) results in a dramatically different behavior. The electrical conductivity of
liquid crystals doped with SOR5 undergoes a sharp increase whereas the electrical
conductivity of samples containing SOR15 decreases.
https://doi.org/10.15407/spqeo26.02.173
PACS 61.30.Gd, 61.72.sd, 66.10.Ed, 77.84.Nh
Manuscript received 10.04.23; revised version received 03.05.23; accepted for publication
07.06.23; published online 26.06.23.
it was important to investigate how the type of impurity 2. Research materials and methods
will affect the changes in the electrical conductivity of
the same liquid crystal materials. One of the first Like in the work [1], we used nematic liquid crystal 6CB.
questions that arise in such studies is the question of how The measuring cells had a sandwich structure. For this
much each of the impurities changes the electrical type of cells, the conditions at the periphery of the
properties of the liquid crystal itself [2, 3]. Therefore, it sample can have a significant impact because of edge
was important to study exactly the region of the dielectric effects. Therefore, the measuring electrodes had two
spectrum, where the presence of an impurity affects the sections – central and peripheral. Just the central part of
LC conductivity. the sample was used as the measuring electrode. The
It is known [2–5] that molecular liquid crystals have peripheral part was used as a guard electrode (to
an ionic type of conductivity. In the works [2–5], it was eliminate edge effects). The electric current through this
shown in detail that purely ionic conductivity of liquids part of the sample did not affect the measurement
does not depend on the frequency. The same can be process. As in [1], we used ITO electrodes (a mixture of
applied to molecular LC because they are anisotropic tin and indium oxides) that are transparent in the visible
dielectric liquids. From a scientific viewpoint, it was range of the optical spectrum.
important to uncover how this quantity could be The homeotropic alignment of LC in the cell was
estimated. In our previous works, it was shown that, achieved in the same way as described in [1].
under certain conditions, it is possible to define the Examinations of samples using a polarizing microscope
regions of the dielectric spectrum where the LC showed that even at the maximum concentration of the
conductivity even with various types of impurities does impurity (0.1 mass %), the homeotropic orientation of
not depend on the frequency. LC molecules was not disturbed even in the absence of
The simplest ways are to increase the thickness of electric field. Since 6CB has a positive value of dielectric
the measuring cell and reduce the frequency of the permittivity anisotropy, then external electric field was
measuring signal [1]. Even though the measuring device an additional stabilizing factor for the homeotropic
did not allow performing the research at very low alignment of LC molecules.
frequencies, the search for regions of the dielectric The research was performed using cells of three
spectrum, where the value of the dielectric permittivity different thicknesses d (5, 20 and 50 μm). The thickness
did not depend on the frequency, was carried out on the of the cell was controlled by polymer spacers that were
basis of the analysis of the dielectric spectra obtained at applied to the guard electrodes. To reduce the influence
various frequencies of the measuring signal. of the environment, after filling the cell, it was sealed by
Therefore, the purpose of this work was (i) to applying epoxy glue around the perimeter of the sample.
ascertain, through research at various thicknesses of the In this work, we investigated LC 6CB doped with
liquid crystal, under which conditions it is possible to SOR5, SOR10, and SOR15 impurities by using three
define a region of the dielectric spectrum where the impurity concentrations: 0.01, 0.05 and 0.1 mass %.
conductivity of the liquid crystal containing a specific Even though some results describing the effect of SOR5
impurity does not depend on the frequency (in the case of impurity on the ionic conductivity of 6CB were reported
adding SOR10 and SOR15 impurities into 6CB), and in our previous work [1], a comparative analysis of the
(ii) to investigate the peculiarities of the influence of effect of different types of SOR-based nanodopants on
these impurities on the LC conductivity. Since this the ionic conductivity of liquid crystal 6CB is still
problem was not considered in the publication [1], it was missing.
addressed in this paper. That is, the main task of this The study of the dielectric properties of 6CB with
work was to investigate how the SOR5, SOR10 and SOR5 impurities was carried out using the oscilloscopic
SOR15 impurities affect the ionic conductivity of 6CB. method [7, 8] and sinusoidal measuring signals. The
In the case of the SOR5 impurity, we took advantage of amplitude of the measuring signal was 2.5 V. The
the results obtained in [1]. dielectric properties of the samples were measured within
It was noted in [1] that the effect of the SOR5 the frequency range f = 6…106 Hz at the temperature
impurity on the 6CB conductivity has not been studied 293 K. Using the oscilloscopic method, the values of
before. The same is applied to the SOR10 and SOR15 electrical resistance R and electrical capacitance C were
impurities. That is, the study of the effects of the SOR5, found for individual frequencies, assuming that the
SOR10, and SOR15 impurities on the ionic conductivity equivalent circuit of the sample is a resistor and a
of nematic liquid crystal 6CB can be considered as the capacitor connected in parallel. To analyze frequency
scientific novelty of the present paper. In previous works dependences, we used a logarithmic scale (since the
analyzed in detail in the reviews [3, 6], the possibility of frequency of the measurement signal varied within rather
different effects of nanoparticles on the ionic wide ranges). The frequencies of the generator were
conductivity of molecular liquid crystals was noted. This chosen so that the interval between them in the
work experimentally demonstrates three types of logarithmic scale was the same.
behavior inherent to the ionic conductivity of molecular According to the known geometric dimensions of
liquid crystals doped with the SOR5, SOR10, and SOR15 the studied samples, on the basis of the obtained values
nanoimpurities. of resistance R and capacitance C of the samples,
Garbovskiy Y.A., Kopčanský P., Kovalchuk O.V. et al. Peculiarities of the effect of different types of SOR …
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5. For the concentrations of SOR5 impurity higher 7. Twarowski A.J., Albrecht A.C. Depletion layer
than 0.05 mass %, the value of conductivity sharply studies in organic films: Low frequency capacitance
increases. Under similar conditions, 6CB containing measurements in polycrystalline tetracene.
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associated with minor changes in chemical and physical Wiley & Sons, New York, NY, USA, 1987.
composition of nanoimpurities. 10. Barbero G., Evangelista L.R. Adsorption Phenomena
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Acknowledgements Taylor & Francis, 48 Boca Raton, FL, USA, 2006.
11. Barrera A., Binet C., Dubois F. et al. Dielectric
This work was supported by VEGA project 2/0043/21, spectroscopy analysis of liquid crystals recovered
520 by project MODEX (ITMS2014 þ:313011T548) from end-of-life liquid crystal displays. Molecules.
supported 521 by the Operational Program Integrated 2021. 26, No 10. P. 2873–2885.
Infrastructure (OPII) 522 funded by the European https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26102873.
Regional Development Fund 523 (ERDF), and by the 12. Blinov L.M. Structure and Properties of Liquid
Slovak Research and Development Agency under Crystals. Springer, New York, NY, 2010.
Contract No. APVV-15–0453 (M-VISION). 13. Tomylko S., Yaroshchuk O., Kovalchuk O.,
Maschke U., Yamaguchi R. Dielectric properties of
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Authors and CV
Особливості впливу різного типу нанодомішок SOR на величину іонної складової електропровідності
гомеотропно орієнтованого нематичного рідкого кристала 6СВ
Ю.А. Гарбовський, P. Kopčanský, О.В. Ковальчук, Т.М. Ковальчук, Л.В. Волох
Анотація. У цій статті повідомлено про вплив нанодомішок SOR5, SOR10 і SOR15 на величину іонної
провідності гомеотропно орієнтованого нематичного рідкого кристала 6CB. Електричні вимірювання
проведено в широкому діапазоні частот (від 6 Гц до 10 6 Гц) при кімнатній температурі (293 K). Показано, що
найбільші зміни електропровідності відбуваються в області низьких частот (менше ніж 10 3 Гц) і залежать від
типу нанодомішки та її концентрації. Незважаючи на подібність хімічного складу SOR5, SOR10 та SOR15,
виміряні залежності електропровідності досліджуваних зразків від концентрації нанодомішок суттєво
відрізняються. У випадку домішки SOR10 іонна складова електропровідності залежить від концентрації SOR10
за степеневим законом із показником приблизно 0,5, що характерно для бімолекулярної рекомбінації носіїв
заряду (тобто поведінка як слабкий електроліт). Зразки рідких кристалів, що містять нанодомішки SOR5 і
SOR15, поводяться подібним чином в області низьких концентрацій (між 0,01 і 0,05 мас. %). Цікаво, що
подальше збільшення концентрації нанодомішок (> 0,05 мас. %) приводить до різко іншої поведінки.
Електропровідність рідких кристалів з домішкою SOR5 різко зростає, тоді як електропровідність зразків, що
містять SOR15, зменшується.
Ключові слова: діелектричні властивості, нематичний рідкий кристал, гомеотропне розташування молекул,
іонна провідність, концентрація нанодомішок.
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