X. Dong et al., INVESTIGATION OF ANCHORING TRANSITION OF LIQUID-CRYSTALS ON CROWN-ETHER MONOLAYERS BY ATOMIC-FORCE MICROSCOPY, Thin solid films, 251(1), 1994, pp. 40-44
The homeotropic and homogeneous alignment of a liquid crystal material
, 4'-n-pentyl-4-cyanobiphenyl (5CB), were achieved by Langmuir monolay
ers of a double-armed crown ether liquid crystal, zo-yl]-1,10-diaza-4,
7,13,16-tetracyclooxaotadecane (CELC) . We found that when the monolay
er was deposited before the phase transition during monolayer compress
ion, it induced liquid crystal alignment homogeneously; when the monol
ayer was transferred after the transition, homeotropic liquid crystal
alignment was produced. Atomic force microscopy was used to examine th
e morphology and microstructure of the alignment agent. The results sh
ow a conformational change of the alignment agent before and after the
transition. The anchoring transition is interpreted as the result of
orientational change of the CELC monolayer. We present strong evidence
that the orientational change of dipoles in the alignment agent can i
nduce an anchoring transition.