Alignment and Dynamic Manipulation of Conjugated Polymer Nanowires in Nematic Liquid Crystal Hosts

Poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene) nanowires incorporating the polymer β-phase are synthesized by template methods. Nanowire photoluminescence is anisotropic, consistent with internal alignment of the β-phase during synthesis. Incorporation of nanowires into a nematic liquid crystal host permits good alignment of the wires and rapid, reversible electric field-assisted dynamic switching of wire orientation, and of wire emission anisotropy, at the single wire level.