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Neutron Reflectivity Studies of the Interface Between a Small Molecule Liquid Crystal and a Polymer
Published
Author(s)
G W. Lynn, M D. Dadmun, Wen-Li Wu, Eric K. Lin, William E. Wallace
Abstract
In this report, we elucidate the structure of a small molecule liquid crystal/polymer interface using specular neutron reflectivity. More specifically, we examined the interfacial transition zone width of a small molecule liquid crystal/polymer as a function of increasing temperature. We found that the interface between a thin film (nearly equal to} 1000 thick) of the liquid crystal 4'-n-Octyl-4-Cyanobiphenyl (8CB) and a thin film ({nearly equal to} 800 thick) of deuterated poly(methyl methacrylate) is broad and (d-PMMA) broadens with increasing temperature. It is also observed that the thin film geometry influences the mixing behavior of the PMMA/8CB system. These results may have implications on current theories of liquid crystal display devices that are formed by the phase separation of liquid crystal polymer mixtures.
Lynn, G.
, Dadmun, M.
, Wu, W.
, Lin, E.
and Wallace, W.
(2002),
Neutron Reflectivity Studies of the Interface Between a Small Molecule Liquid Crystal and a Polymer, Liquid Crystals, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=851816
(Accessed October 1, 2025)