Intelligent Optical Materials Based on Polymer Dispersed Cholesteric Liquid Crystals

Cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs), a class of photonic materials with multi-stimulus response and tunable photonic bandgaps (PBGs), exhibit the characteristics of selective and circularly polarized reflection properties due to helical assembly of supramolecules. To enhance their practical applicability, CLCs can be uniformly dispersed as microdroplets within polymer matrices, forming polymer dispersed cholesteric liquid crystals (PDCLCs). This composite system not only provides CLCs with essential mechanical stability but also enables enhanced multimodal responses through polymer matrix interactions. PDCLC materials have been widely used in the fields of dynamic displays, intelligent sensors, anti-counterfeiting systems and optical encryption devices. This review comprehensively surveys the fundamental properties, preparation methods, field-responsive behaviors and major applications of PDCLCs. Furthermore, the current challenges and future developments of PDCLCs are prospected to further promote scientific research and practical application of intelligent response materials.