Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Liquid crystals (LCs) are a fascinating state of matter. LCs are omnipresent in nature and serve as model systems for many biological membranes. Furthermore, the self-assembly of ultra-short nano-DNA segments into LC phases may well hold the key for the origin of life on our planet. The greatest technological impact of LCs, however, has been in electronic displays where the LC display (LCD) market continues to experience explosive growth. In a world with more LCDs than people, LCDs enhance the quality of people's lives worldwide and continue to revolutionize the way we communicate. The ever-growing market of mobile phones, flat panel PC monitors, high-resolution TVs, and colour viewfinders is based on the unique properties of specifically designed LC molecules and mixtures. In 2010, LCDs will occupy over 90% of the display market, which is projected to increase to US$ 124 billion/year. However, the next technological leap for LCs in display and other device applications requires new switching modes and material combinations. Together with HQP at all levels, I propose to design functional liquid crystal nanocomposites that will contribute to the discovery and improvement of many high-tech applications in areas such as electro-optics, optical memories, display devices, and sensors. In a world with substantially rising energy needs, developing LC mixtures for brighter, higher-contrast LCDs consuming less power will be increasingly important for saving energy and natural resources. Recent global research initiatives in LC nanoscience, i.e. the mutually beneficial marriage of the mature field of LCs with the revolutionary field of nanotechnology, undoubtedly show that LC nanoscience is one of the next frontiers in LC research. Ongoing research in my laboratory clearly demonstrates the immense value of LC nanocomposites for dramatically enhanced LCD characteristics, and the proposed research on nanoparticle-doped LC phases emphasizes immense future opportunities for other LC-based applications in optics, photonics, and sensing. HQP trained in this program will experience a unique interdisciplinary research environment ranging from fundamental LC molecular design to nanochemistry.