LC alignment control based on concurrent use of SiO2 nanoparticles with UV curable surface embedded into polyimide alignment layers and UV curable LC monomer

Abstract

In this study we examine a newly proposed polymer-sustained LC alignment method in order to control arbitrarily the LC alignment. The method is based on the concurrent use of SiO2 nanoparticles whose surface is covered with UV curable functional group such as methacrylic one, which are embedded into the alignment layer of polyimide, and UV curable LC monomers added to a LC host material. We found that such kind of functionalized nanoparticles helps to form polymer network selectively at LC-alignment layer interface even at low concentration of UV curable LC monomers, leading to a change in pretilt angles.