Aminopropyl-modified gel dispersed liquid crystal films have been synthesized by the room temperature sol–gel process. 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, tetraethyl orthosilicate and nematic liquid crystal n-pentyl-n′-cyanobipheynyl were used as precursors for the production of aminopropyl-modified gel dispersed liquid crystal films. The distribution of liquid crystal drops in the films was characterized by optical microscopy. The effect of the liquid crystal concentration related to siloxane on the size of the liquid crystal droplets was studied. The electro-optical properties of aminopropyl-modified gel dispersed liquid crystal films were assessed by the transmittance–voltage relations. It was found to exhibit a strong dependence on the applied alternating electric field. The mechanism of the effect was discussed in the paper.Highlights► Amino-based gel dispersed liquid crystal films with remarkable electrooptical properties. ► By the replacement of polymeric matrix with inorganic–organic hybrid, many practical advantages can be gained. ► Our results demonstrate a critical role for the design of novel gel dispersed liquid crystal in such low-cost silica based-nanocomposites with great flexibility.

Nanofibrous composites are a new class of polymer materials with controlled and tailored properties. Novel Fe3O4/poly(acrylonitrile-co-acrylic acid) nanofibrous composites with magnetic behavior have been prepared by a simple electrospinning process. The nanofibrous composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy and vibrating sample magnetometer. The distribution of Fe3O4 nanoparticles inside the nanofibrous composites was investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy. X-ray diffraction revealed the presence of Fe3O4 nanoparticles in the nanofibrous composites. The maximum saturation magnetization for the composites, measured at 300 K, was 30.51 emu/g.

We have investigated diffraction gratings fabricated inside bulk azodye-doped hybrid inorganic–organic materials by a focused near-IR 800 nm femtosecond laser directly. The first-order diffraction of the grating was measured using a 632.8 nm He–Ne laser. By changing the laser parameters such as the laser power, the scanning speed, and the grating period, we found that the first-order Bragg diffraction efficiency was strongly dependent on the parameters of the femtosecond laser. The results showed that the first-order Bragg diffraction efficiency can be increased when decreasing the laser power or increasing the grating periods and the scanning speed of the laser. The mechanisms were also analyzed briefly.