Carbon nanotubes in liquid crystals as versatile functional materials

Liquid crystals can be easily aligned in desired directions by treated surfaces or by external fields. The least ordered liquid crystal phase, the nematic, exhibits orientational order that can be easily transferred onto carbon nanotubes dispersed in it. The alignment of the carbon nanotubes can be demonstrated by po- larized Raman spectroscopy. Carbon nanotubes not only well integrate in the matrix but also, even at very low concentration, have a detectable effect on the liquid crystal properties that can be very attractive for display applications. The presence of big aggregates of carbon nanotubes, on the other hand, interfere strongly with the switching behaviour of the liquid crystal, as we can show following the local switching of liquid crystal molecules with Raman spectroscopy.