Self-Assembled Monolayers for Liquid Crystal Alignment

该奖项授予位于博尔德的科罗拉多大学的大卫沃尔巴和约瑟夫麦克伦南博士，由化学部的先进材料和加工计划以及材料研究部的固态化学计划共同支持。该奖项的重点将是研究和开发用于铁电液晶取向的自组装单分子膜中的光致伸缩和光开关分子方案的基本机制。该奖项将研究偶氮染料单元的自组装单层的合成，这些单元平行于可以使用线性偏振紫外辐射对齐的衬底。光激活液晶均匀排列-光抛光-代替传统的机械抛光或摩擦也将在此奖项下进行。 材料科学的教学和学生培训是该奖项的一部分。根据该奖项，自组装单分子膜将从光致异构偶氮基团设计和开发，并连接到铁电液晶的书架结构。 根据该合同计划的液晶光激活排列将消除有源矩阵液晶器件制造过程中的传统机械摩擦。 此外，如果在技术上加以利用，该工艺将导致降低的制造成本、增强的图像对比度和深度、以及显示设备的改进的产量和质量控制。此外，该研究计划将提供丰富的多学科教育和培训的机会，在材料化学博士后和研究生

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