Dielectric and electro-optic study of nematic 5CB confined in nitrate cellulose membranes

Dielectric spectroscopy is employed to analyse the molecular dynamics of a confined nematogen in micrometer cavities of cellulose membrane filters. Th e dielectric data reveal that the confinement influences the relative ampli tudes of the observed molecular relaxation processes, independent of the po re diameter. The dynamics of mesogenic molecules in confining geometry simi lar to that in the bulk phase. The geometry of the porous material determin es the orientational state of the director field. We study the electrooptic al properties by measuring electrically controlled light scattering of the composite system.