title: Substrate-induced crystal plastic phase of a discotic liquid crystal.
abstract: A new phase of a known discotic liquid crystal is observed at the interface with a rigid substrate. The structure of the substrate-induced phase has been characterized by atomic force microscopy, specular X-ray diffraction, and small-angle and wide-angle grazing incidence X-ray diffraction. The substrate-induced phase, which has a thickness of ∼30 nm and a tetragonal symmetry, differs notably from the bulk phase. The occurrence of such phase casts a new light on alignment of discotic liquid crystals.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Chimie des Polymères, Faculté des Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), CP206/1, Boulevard du Triomphe, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Gabin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gbabode
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dumont
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Quist
authors.forename: Guillaume
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schweicher
authors.forename: Armin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moser
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Viville
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lazzaroni
authors.forename: Yves H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Geerts
mesh_terms: D050866:Liquid Crystals / Q000737:chemistry*; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D044367:Phase Transition; D010969:Plastics / Q000737:chemistry*; D053838:Scattering, Small Angle; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D010969:Plastics