Cholesterol-Based Grafted Polymer Brushes as Alignment Coating with Temperature-Tuned Anchoring for Nematic Liquid Crystals.
Novel alignment coating with temperature-tuned anchoring for nematic liquid crystals (NLCs) was successfully fabricated in three step process, involving polymerization of poly(cholesteryl methacrylate) (PChMa) from oligoproxide grafted to the glass surface premodified with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane. Molecular composition, thickness, wettability of the PChMa coating and its alignment action for a NLC were examined with time of flight-secondary ion mass spectrometry, ellipsometry, contact angle measurements, polarization optical microscopy and commercially produced PolScope technique allowing for mapping of the optic axis and optical retardance within the microscope field view. We find that the PChMa coating provides a specific monotonous increase (decrease) in the tilt angle of the NLC director with respect to the substrates normal upon heating (cooling) referred to as anchoring tuning.
Lviv Polytechnic National University , S. Bandery 12, 79013 Lviv, Ukraine.
Yurij
Y
Stetsyshyn
Smoluchowski Institute of Physics, JagiellonianUniversity , Łojasiewicza 11, 30-348 Kraków, Poland.
Joanna
J
Raczkowska
Smoluchowski Institute of Physics, JagiellonianUniversity , Łojasiewicza 11, 30-348 Kraków, Poland.
Andrzej
A
Budkowski
Smoluchowski Institute of Physics, JagiellonianUniversity , Łojasiewicza 11, 30-348 Kraków, Poland.
Kamil
K
Awsiuk
Lviv Academy of Commerce , Samtshuk 9, Lviv 79005 Ukraine.|Vlokh Institute of Physical Optics , 23 Dragomanov st., Lviv 79011, Ukraine.
Andriy
A
Kostruba
Ivan Franko National University of Lviv , Dragomanov 50, 79005 Lviv, Ukraine.
Svyatoslav
S
Nastyshyn
Lviv Polytechnic National University , S. Bandery 12, 79013 Lviv, Ukraine.
Khrystyna
K
Harhay
Lviv Danylo Halytsky National Medical University , Pekarska 69, 79010 Lviv, Ukraine.
Edward
E
Lychkovskyy
Lviv Polytechnic National University , S. Bandery 12, 79013 Lviv, Ukraine.
Halyna
H
Ohar
Vlokh Institute of Physical Optics , 23 Dragomanov st., Lviv 79011, Ukraine.
Yuriy
Y
Nastishin