Uniaxial alignment of nanoconfined columnar mesophases.

Mouthuy, Pierre-Olivier; Melinte, Sorin; Geerts, Yves H; Jonas, Alain M · Nano Lett · 2007

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

By confining discotic phthalocyanines in a network of crisscrossed nanogrooves, we obtain a uniaxial alignment of the columnar mesophase. The alignment process is based on the anisotropy of interface tension between the mesophase and the nanogrooves' walls. Preferential mesophase alignment results from this nonhomogeneity combined with the anisotropy of the network cell dimensions. A simple model is proposed to explain the experimental observations.

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