| Wolfer, P.; Kreger, K.; Schmidt, H.-W.; Stingelin, N.; Smith, P.: Photo-Oriented Trisazobenzene Layers for Patterned Liquid-Crystal Alignment, Molecular Crystals Liquid Crystals, 562, 133-140 (2012) -- DOI: 10.1080/15421406.2012.674857 | |
| Abstract: Photosensitive trisazobenzene-based layers, after irradiation with polarized light, are employed to align the common liquid-crystal (LC) compound 4-cyano-4′-heptylbiphenyl (7CB) into predetermined patterns. Surface analysis of the trisazobenzene films indicate that ordering of the LC material is not caused by illumination-induced surface relief structures, but through molecular mesoepitaxial phenomena. This finding can be exploited to produce in one-step in-plane patterns of randomly oriented and ordered macroscopic LC domains by irradiation of the substrates. |
