Photopolymerization of Self-Assembled Fibers Formed in Oriented Liquid Crystalline Media

Abstract

We have developed new polymerizable gelators with amino acid moieties. Anisotropic fibrous aggregates of the gelators are obtained in oriented liquid crystalline media. The structures of the fibers can be fixed and thermally stabilized by in-situ photopolymerization in the gel state. The morphology of the liquid crystal gels before and after polymerization of the fibers has been examined by polarizing optical microscope, atomic force microscope (AFM), and field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM).