Morphology development during polymerization-induced phase separation in a polymer dispersed liquid crystal

To elucidate the emergence of liquid crystal (LC) domains during polymerization induced phase separation in a polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC), numerical simulation has been performed by incorporating the kinetics of crosslinking reaction into the time-dependent Ginzburg–Landau (TDGL-Model C) equations in conjunction with the combined Flory–Huggins (FH)/Maier–Saupe (MS) free energies. The TDGL-Model C basically consists of two coupled equations in which a conserved compositional order parameter (i.e. the volume fraction) is coupled with a non-conserved orientational order parameter of the LCs. Of particular interest is the influence of nematic ordering on the emergence of domain morphology that shows a strong dependence on curing temperatures and compositions, displaying a rich variety of patterns.