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Liquid crystal alignment on rubbed self-assembled monolayers according to alkyl chain length

알킬 사슬 길이에 따른 러빙 처리된 자기 조립 단분자막의 액정 배향 연구

  • Park, Hong-Gyu (Department of Electrical, Electronic and Control, Changwon National University) ;
  • Park, Mu-Hun (Department of Electrical, Electronic and Control, Changwon National University)
  • Received : 2021.09.24
  • Accepted : 2021.10.06
  • Published : 2021.10.30

Abstract

A homeotropic liquid crystal (LC) alignment state on rubbed fluorinated self-assembled monolayers (FSAMs) is described according to alkyl chain length. A simple procedure, gas-phase method, for the preparation of FSAM was used. The average optical transmittance in the visible light range of FSAMs were 76.63% to 78.21%, which were superior to the conventional polyimide layer having a transmittance of 75.89%. In addition, the excellent homeotropic LC alignment characteristics of FSAMs were observed through pretilt angle measurement and polarized optical microscope images. By measuring the contact angles and the surface energies of FSAMs, it was confirmed that pretilt angles of LC molecules increased according to the alkyl chain length. High optical transparency and uniform homeotropic LC alignment characteristics of FSAMs showed the possibility of FSAMs as an LC alignment layers.

본 논문에서는 알킬 사슬 길이에 따른 러빙 처리된 불소화 자기 조립 단분자막(fluorinated self-assembled monolayers; FSAM)의 수직 액정 배향 상태를 보고한다. FSAM의 증착을 위해 간단한 공정인 기체-상 방법이 사용되었다. FSAM의 가시광선 영역대 광학 평균 투과율은 77.63%~78.21%로 75.89%의 투과율을 갖는 기존의 폴리이미드막보다 우수하였다. 또한 프리틸트각 측정과 편광현미경 사진을 통해 FSAM의 우수한 수직 배향 특성을 관찰하였다. 접촉각과 FSAM의 표면에너지 측정을 통해 알킬 사슬 길이에 따른 프리틸트각이 증가하는 것을 확인하였다. FSAM의 높은 광학 투과율과 균일한 수직 배향 특성은 FSAM이 액정 배향막으로서의 가능성을 보여주었다.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This research was supported by Changwon National University in 2021~2022.

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