TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Component: The particles are elongated inorganic particles. The particles comprise zinc oxide, tungsten oxide, or titanium dioxide.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Component: The cell further comprises electroactive particle surface groups (121) associated with each particle through a carboxy group. The particle surface groups increase an ability of the LC material to wet the particles. At least some of the particle surface groups comprise aromatic rings; or 5-membered rings, at least some of which comprising at least one sulfur atom. One of the 5-membered rings is a terminal 5-membered ring and only the terminal 5-membered ring comprises a sulfoxide group. At least one of the aromatic rings may also comprise an aliphatic chain comprising greater than or equal to 3C. The LC material defines a director and the hole injection layer comprises polymer rods in contact with the liquid crystal material, where the director and all of the polymer rods are aligned. The LC unit comprises an aromatic central group and greater than or equal to 4 electroactive arms. The aromatic central group comprises greater than or equal to 2 (preferably greater than or equal to 3) fused aromatic 6-membered rings and greater than or equal to 4 heterocyclic rings fused to the aromatic 6-membered rings. The discotic LC units are free of metal atoms.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Method: Formation of discotic nematic LC material comprises forming oriented projections comprising the hole injection material; and contacting the LC units with the oriented projections. Formation of the oriented projections comprises forming interstices within a surfactant adjacent a surface; and polymerizing a polymerizable precursor to the hole injection material within the interstices to form the oriented projections. Preferred Component: The cell further comprises a photoactive binder dispersed among the LC material. The binder comprises a polymer that has a lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) similar to LUMO of the LC material. The polymerizable precursor comprises a monomer of polythiophene or derivative.