Physico-Chemical Interaction of Nematics with Polymer Surface

Abstract
The features of the domain structure formation of MBBA and 5CB nematic liquid crystals on the polycarbonate surface are studied. It is established experimentally that the orientation of nematic liquid crystals is caused by physico-chemical interaction and depends on the structural organization of the polymer resulting from solvent type and density of the polymer chains. Under these conditions, the growth of domains reflects the formation of the nuclear centers in the polymer chains: the LC molecules form a growing domain, being located radially around the nuclear center in the same way as it occurs when they interact with microscopic granules of colloidal solutions.

Keywords: liquid crystal, physico-chemical coupling, polymer chain