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Updated: May 23, 2026

Preparation of Monodomain Liquid Crystal Elastomers and Liquid Crystal Elastomer Nanocomposites
Published on: February 6, 2016
Collapse of homeotropic liquid-crystal alignment by increased molecular packing on comb-like polymer surfaces
Eun-Ho Sohn1, Hyo Kang, Dong-Gyun Kim
1Department of Advanced Materials Engineering for Information & Electronics, Kyung Hee University, 446-701 Seoul, South Korea.
Abstract:
We report an unusual alignment behavior of liquid crystals (LCs) on well-ordered comb-like poly(oxyethylene) surfaces. The homeotropic LC alignments that are observed on as-coated surfaces of the polymers are transformed to the random planar type after annealing treatment, even though the molecular structure of the polymer surface becomes more ordered and the surface energy decreases. Studies of the surface properties, such as molecular structure, morphology, and wettability, reveal that such an unexpected alteration of the LC alignment originates from the density of the alkyl side chains being enhanced by localized packing.
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