title: Domain structures in nematic liquid crystals on a polycarbonate surface.
abstract: Alignment of nematic liquid crystals on polycarbonate films obtained with the use of solvents with different solvations is studied. Domain structures occurring during the growth on the polymer surface against the background of the initial thread-like or schlieren texture are demonstrated. It is established by optical methods that the domains are stable formations visualizing the polymer surface structures. In nematic droplets, the temperature-induced transition from the domain structure with two extinction bands to the structure with four bands is observed. This transition is shown to be caused by reorientation of the nematic director in the liquid crystal volume from the planar alignment to the homeotropic state with the pronounced radial configuration of nematic molecules on the surface. The observed textures are compared with different combinations of the volume LC orientations and the radial distribution of the director field and the disclination lines at the polycarbonate surface.
authors: Kirensky Institute of Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch, Krasnoyarsk Scientific Center, Krasnoyarsk 660036, Russia. parshin@iph.krasn.ru
authors: Alexander M
authors: AM
authors: Parshin
authors: Vladimir A
authors: VA
authors: Gunyakov
authors: Victor Y
authors: VY
authors: Zyryanov
authors: Vasily F
authors: VF
authors: Shabanov
mesh_terms: D001597:Benzylidene Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D002124:Calcium Fluoride / Q000737:chemistry; D003460:Crystallization; D050866:Liquid Crystals / Q000737:chemistry*; D008752:Methylene Chloride / Q000737:chemistry; D009570:Nitriles / Q000737:chemistry; D044367:Phase Transition; D011076:Polycarboxylate Cement / Q000737:chemistry*; D011725:Pyridines / Q000737:chemistry; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D001597:Benzylidene Compounds; D009570:Nitriles; D011076:Polycarboxylate Cement; D011725:Pyridines; D012997:Solvents; C005506:polycarbonate; D008752:Methylene Chloride; C023666:pyridine; D002124:Calcium Fluoride