The Effect of Salt on Ion Adsorption on a Siox Alignment Film and Reduced Conductivity of a Liquid Crystal Host

It is shown that the addition of salt to liquid crystal cells, using a SiOx alignment layer, can actually reduce the ion concentration. This seeming contradiction may be explained by the ability of salt to complex with water and to aid the drying of the liquid crystal material. The results show a pathway to purifying liquid crystal devices to the extent needed for low-power low-refresh rate displays for e-book applications.