Glassy liquid-crystal films,with opposite chirality as high-performance optical notch filters and reflectors

Glass-forming liquid crystals combine the ability of liquid crystals to sel f-organize and that of polymers to undergo glass transition (instead of cry stallization) upon cooling. Here is reported the synthesis and implementati on of novel right- and left-handed chiral-nematic glass-forming liquid crys tals in optical notch filters and reflectors, which have various applicatio ns in liquid-crystal displays. The observed attenuation of incident unpolar ized light in 3.7 optical density units is the highest ever accomplished wi th organic and polymeric materials.