EFFECT OF A SILOXANE MOIETY ON THE ANCHORING OF FERROELECTRIC LIQUID-CRYSTALS AT THE AIR-WATER-INTERFACE

We have studied bulk and thin film behavior of a low-molar-mass organo siloxane ferroelectric liquid crystal with a sulfinate as a chiral gro up. The addition of the siloxane moiety lowers the transition temperat ure of the bulk smectic phase, increases its thermal stability, and fa vors a lateral anchoring of the chiral molecules at the air-water inte rface. The formation of stable monomolecular Langmuir films of this LM M ferroelectric liquid crystal permits the control of the molecular or ientation via lateral density changes, and consequently in-situ invest igations of the interfacial ordering and orientation. Uniform mono- an d multilayer films with well-defined orientation can be transferred on to solid substrate for further studies.