Semiconductor liquid crystal composition and methods for making the same
View Patent ↗Semiconductor liquid crystal compositions and methods for making such compositions are disclosed. One embodiment of the invention is directed to a liquid crystal composition including a solvent and semiconductor particles in the solvent. The solvent and the semiconductor particles are in an effective amount in the liquid crystal composition to form a liquid crystal phase.
1. A liquid crystal composition comprising:
(a) a solvent; and
(b) semiconductor nanoparticles in the solvent,
wherein the solvent and the semiconductor nanoparticles are in an effective amount in the liquid crystal composition to form a liquid crystalline phase,
wherein the semiconductor nanoparticles comprise rod-shaped nanoparticles.
2. A liquid crystal composition comprising:
(a) a solvent; and
(b) semiconductor nanoparticles in the solvent,
wherein the solvent and the semiconductor nanoparticles are in an effective amount in the liquid crystal composition to form a liquid crystalline phase,
wherein the semiconductor nanoparticles have aspect ratios greater than about 2.
3. The liquid crystal composition of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor nanoparticles comprise a Group III-V compound semiconductor.
4. The liquid crystal composition of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor nanoparticles comprise a Group II-VI compound semiconductor.
5. The liquid crystal composition of claim 1 wherein the solvent comprises an organic solvent.
6. The liquid crystal composition of claim 1 further comprising amphiphilic molecules, wherein the semiconductor nanoparticles are attached to the amphiphilic molecules.
7. A liquid crystal composition comprising:
(a) a solvent; and
(b) semiconductor nanoparticles in the solvent,
wherein the solvent and the semiconductor nanoparticles are in an effective amount in the liquid crystal composition to form a liquid crystalline phase,
wherein each of the semiconductor nanoparticles has an aspect ratio of greater than 1.
8. The liquid crystal composition of claim 1 wherein each of the semiconductor nanoparticles comprise a compound semiconductor.
9. The liquid crystal composition of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor nanoparticles comprise CdSe.
10. A device comprising a liquid crystal composition, wherein the liquid crystal composition comprises (a) a solvent; and (b) semiconductor nanoparticles in the solvent, wherein the solvent and the semiconductor nanoparticles are in an effective amount in the liquid crystal composition to form a liquid crystalline phase.
11. The device of claim 10 wherein the device is a polarized light emitting diode, or a solar cell.
12. A liquid crystal display comprising a liquid crystal composition, wherein the liquid crystal composition comprises (a) a solvent; and (b) semiconductor nanoparticles in the solvent, wherein the solvent and the semiconductor nanoparticles are in an effective amount in the liquid crystal composition to form a liquid crystalline phase.
13. A liquid crystal composition comprising:
(a) a solvent; and
(b) semiconductor nanoparticles in the solvent,
wherein each of the semiconductor nanoparticles is rod-shaped or disk-shaped, and has an aspect ratio greater than about 2:1 or less than 1:2, and wherein the semiconductor nanoparticles in the liquid crystal composition comprise a semiconductor.
14. The liquid crystal composition of claim 13 wherein the solvent is a non-polar solvent.
15. The liquid crystal composition of claim 13 wherein the semiconductor nanoparticles are rod shaped.
16. A device comprising the liquid crystal composition of claim 13 .
17. The device of claim 16 wherein the device is a polarized light emitting diode, or a solar cell.
18. A liquid crystal display comprising the liquid crystal composition of claim 13 .
19. A method for forming a liquid crystal composition comprising:
(a) forming semiconductor nanoparticles;
(b) mixing the semiconductor nanoparticles and a solvent to form a mixture; and
(c) forming a liquid crystal phase in the mixture.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein the semiconductor nanoparticles are rod-shaped.
21. The method of claim 19 wherein forming the semiconductor nanoparticles comprises:
introducing compound semiconductor precursors into a heated solution containing at least two different surfactants.
22. The method of claim 19 wherein forming the semiconductor nanoparticles comprises:
introducing compound semiconductor precursors into a heated solution containing at least two different surfactants, wherein the compound semiconductor precursors include a Group II-VI element, a Group III-V element, or a Group IV element.
23. The method of claim 19 wherein the semiconductor nanoparticles comprise semiconductors.
24. The method of claim 19 wherein mixing the semiconductor nanoparticles and the solvent comprises:
adding the semiconductor nanoparticles to the solvent.
25. The method of claim 19 wherein forming the liquid crystal phase from the mixture includes:
adjusting the amount of solvent in the mixture to form the liquid crystal phase.
26. The method of claim 19 wherein the solvent is a non-polar solvent.
27. The liquid crystal composition of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor nanoparticles comprise a Group IV semiconductor.
28. A liquid crystal composition comprising:
(a) a solvent; and
(b) semiconductor nanoparticles in the solvent,
wherein the solvent and the semiconductor nanoparticles are in an effective amount in the liquid crystal composition to form a liquid crystalline phase,
wherein the semiconducor nanoparticles are disk shaped.
29. The device of claim 10 wherein the device is a light emitting diode.
30. The liquid crystal composition of claim 7 wherein the semiconductor nanoparticles comprise a Group III-V compound semiconductor.
31. The liquid crystal composition of claim 7 wherein the semiconductor nanoparticles comprise a Group II-VI compound semiconductor.
32. The liquid crystal composition of claim 7 wherein the solvent comprises an organic solvent.
33. A device comprising the liquid crystal composition of claim 7 .
34. The device of claim 33 wherein the device is a polarized light emitting diode, or a solar cell.
35. The liquid crystal composition of claim 28 wherein the semiconductor nanoparticles comprise a Group III-V compound semiconductor.
36. The liquid crystal composition of claim 28 wherein the semiconductor nanoparticles comprise a Group II-VI compound semiconductor.
37. The liquid crystal composition of claim 28 wherein the solvent comprises an organic solvent.
38. A device comprising the liquid crystal composition of claim 28 .
39. The device of claim 38 wherein the device is a polarized light emitting diode, or a solar cell.