Self-Assembled Monolayers for Liquid Crystal Alignment

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This award to Drs. David Walba and Joseph Maclennan of the University of Colorado at Boulder is jointly supported by the Advanced Materials and Processing Program in the Chemistry Division and the Solid State Chemistry Program in the Division of Materials Research. The focus of the award will be to study and develop the basic mechanisms of optically bistable and photo-switchable molecular schemes in self-assembled monolayers for ferroelectric liquid crystal alignments. Synthesis of self-assembled monolayers of azo-dye units oriented parallel to the substrates that can be aligned using linearly polarized UV radiation will be studied under this award. Photo-activated homogeneous alignment of liquid crystal - photo buffing - in place of traditional mechanical buffing or rubbing will also be carried out under this award. Teaching and training of students in materials science are parts of the award. Under this award, self-assembled monolayers will be designed and developed from photoisomerizable azo groups and attached to bookshelf structures of ferroelectric liquid crystals. Photo-activated alignments of liquid crystals planned under this award will eliminate the traditional mechanical rubbing in the manufacturing process of active matric liquid crystal devices. In addition, this process if technologically exploited will result in reduced manufacturing costs, enhanced contrast and depth of images, and improved yield and quality control of the display devices. In addition, the research program will provide a rich multidisciplinary education and training opportunity in materials chemistry to postdoctoral and graduate students