Liquid crystal alignment behaviors and wetting properties of polymer blend surfaces

Abstract

Blend surfaces of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) derivatives with different alkyl side chain lengths were prepared, and their wetting properties and liquid crystal (LC) alignment behaviors were studied as a function of blend ratio. Based on these results, we found that LC alignment behavior on the blend surfaces is predominantly affected by polymer regions with ordered alkyl side chains, whereas wettability is determined by polymer regions with disordered alkyl side chains. This difference is explained by the fact that wetting properties rely on the interaction at the three phase line between the liquid and polymer surfaces in contrast to LC alignment behavior, which is influenced by the entire polymer surface. We suggest that wettability has only limited utility to explain LC alignment behavior. Open image in new window