INTERFACIAL GRADIENT OF MOLECULAR ORDERING IN ORGANIZED FILMS OF A LIQUID-CRYSTALLINE DISCOTIC POLYMER

Langmuir-Blodgett films from a discotic liquid crystalline (LC) polyme r display a gradient of molecular organization across the substrate-po lymer interface. ''Average'' molecular order in multilayer films is bi layer-columnar packing with complete interdigitation of discotic group s similar to the ordering observed in the bulk mesomorphic state. Rest ructuring of molecular order is observed in molecular layers adjacent to a silicon substrate. The molecular packing evolves from one-layer p acking in the very first layer to incomplete interdigitated packing in the second and the third molecular layers. Complete interdigitation o f side discotic groups is realized in the fourth and the following mon olayers of the LC polymer.