Research Projects

Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) have become a crucial part of our daily lives, with LCDs replacing traditional TVs and monitors. However, consumers demand better performance, leading to the use of nanomaterials in LCs to improve their properties. Heavy metal-based nanomaterials have been used as dopants in LCs due to their superior optical properties, resulting in improved electrical, optical, and electro-optical properties. However, these composites face challenges such as bioaccumulation/toxicity, expensive chemicals, skilled operators, application specificity, and recycling. To address these limitations, a new age of green synthesis is gaining attention in research and development. Green synthesis relies on safer, non-toxic solvents and sustainable, eco-friendly synthesis procedures. The need is to develop non-toxic, low-cost, and efficient LC composites with green synthesized nanoparticles with improved optical, electro-optical, electrical properties, and tunability for device fabrication. This project proposes a methodology to enhance the optical, electrical, and electro-optical response of LC-NP composites by selecting the elemental composition of NPs, optimizing the shape, size, and morphology of NPs, studying the role of anisotropy in tuning NPs' optical properties, and exploring the interaction between LC and green synthesized NPs. The enhanced electrical, optical, and electro-optical properties and tunability offered by these non-toxic LC composites are highly desirable features for LC-based display devices and sensors.