Switchable Liquid Crystal Composite Windows Using Bacterial Cellulose (BC) Mat Substrates

Performance properties were investigated for transparency switching devices fabricated with nematic LC filled bacterial cellulose (BC) mats as electro-optical components. Biobased BC is a nanoporous bicontinuous network of cellulose fibers produced by bacteria and cultured to form mats of desired thickness. Devices made from BC mats with thicknesses of 6, 20, and 40 μm were compared. Furthermore, the electro-optical response of the devices provides insight into the ordering of the nematic LC within the bicontinuous BC matrix