Broadband Near-Infrared Reflective Film from Stacked Opposite-Handed Chiral Liquid Crystals with Pitch Gradients
Broadband near-infrared (NIR) reflective films are widely used in architecture and the automotive and aerospace industries for energy saving and thermal regulation. For large-area and flexible applications, it is essential to develop cost-effective, solution-processable, and long-term-stable NIR-ref...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Crystals |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/15/7/597 |
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| Summary: | Broadband near-infrared (NIR) reflective films are widely used in architecture and the automotive and aerospace industries for energy saving and thermal regulation. For large-area and flexible applications, it is essential to develop cost-effective, solution-processable, and long-term-stable NIR-reflective films. Here, we present a polymer-stabilized chiral liquid crystal (CLC) film that achieves broadband NIR reflection by stacking opposite-handed CLC layers with pitch gradients. We experimentally established optimal formulations of materials for both right-handed and left-handed CLCs. The resulting film exhibits high-degree broadband reflection (~95%) in the 1000–1800 nm wavelength range, while maintaining visible transmittance (~80%) in the 450–850 nm range. The concept proposed here will be widely applicable for scalable and practical NIR-filtering applications in smart glasses, sensors, and optoelectronic devices. |
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| ISSN: | 2073-4352 |