Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Morphology of open films of discotic hexagonal columnar liquid crystals as probed by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction

  • Regular Article
  • Published:
The European Physical Journal E Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The structure and the orientation of thermotropic hexagonal columnar liquid crystals are studied by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXD) for different discotic compounds in the geometry of open supported thin films. Whatever the film deposition mode (either spin-coating or vacuum evaporation) and the film thickness, a degenerate planar alignment with the liquid crystalline columns parallel to the substrate is found. However, if a specific thermal process is applied to the liquid crystal film, homeotropic anchoring (columns normal to the interface) can be stabilized in a metastable state.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. S. Laschat, A. Baro, N. Steinke, F. Giesselmann, C. Hägele, G. Scalia, R. Judele, E. Kapatsina, S. Sauer, A. Schreivogel, M. Tosoni, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 46, 4832 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. D. Adam, P. Schuhmacher, J. Simmerer, L. Haussling, K. Siemensmeyer, K.H. Etzbach, H. Ringsdorf, D. Haarer, Nature 371, 141 (1994)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. S. Sergeyev, W. Pisula, Y.H. Geerts, Chem. Soc. Rev. 36, 1902 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. L. Schmidt-Mende, A. Fechtenkötter, K. Müllen, E. Moons, R.H. Friend, J.D. MacKenzie, Science 293, 1119 (2001)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. J. Wu, W. Pisula, K. Müllen, Chem. Rev. 107, 718 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. E. Charlet, E. Grelet, P. Brettes, H. Bock, H. Saadaoui, L. Cisse, P. Destruel, N. Gherardi, I. Seguy, Appl. Phys. Lett. 92, 024107 (2008)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. H.-S. Kim, S.-M. Choi, J.-H. Lee, P. Busch, S.J. Koza, E.A. Verploegen, B.D. Pate, Adv. Mater. 20, 1105 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. A. Calo, P. Stoliar, M. Cavallini, S. Sergeyev, Y.H. Geerts, F. Biscarini, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 130, 11953 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. J.Y. Josefowicz, N.C. Maliszewskyj, S.H.J. Idziak, P.A. Heiney, J.P. McCauley, A.B. Smith, Science 260, 323 (1993)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. N. Boden, R.J. Bushby, P.S. Martin, S.D. Evans, R.W. Owens, D.A. Smith, Langmuir 15, 3790 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. A. Nayak, K.A. Suresh, S.K. Pal, S. Kumar, J. Phys. Chem. B 111, 11157 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. D.W. Breiby, O. Bunk, W. Pisula, T.I. Solling, A. Tracz, T. Pakula, K. Müllen, M.M. Nielsen, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 127, 3120 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. T.N. Krauss, E. Barrena, X.N. Zhang, D.G. de Oteyza, J. Major, V. Dehm, F. Würthner, L.P. Cavalcanti, H. Dosch, Langmuir 24, 12742 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. E. Grelet, H. Bock, Europhys. Lett. 73, 712 (2006)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  15. S. Saïdi-Besbes, E. Grelet, H. Bock, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 45, 1783 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. H. Bock, M. Rajaoarivelo, S. Clavaguera, E. Grelet, Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2889 (2006)

  17. The different widths of the peaks come from the anisotropy of the X-ray beam resolution (see sect. RX)

  18. A sample with a unidirectional planar anchoring would not exhibit the simultaneous presence of all these Bragg reflections on the same GIXD pattern

  19. E. Charlet, E. Grelet, Phys. Rev. E 78, 041707 (2008)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  20. L. Sallen, P. Oswald, J.C. Géminard, J. Malthête, J. Phys. II 5, 937 (1995)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre de Recherche Paul-Pascal, Université de Bordeaux, 115 Avenue Schweitzer, 33600, Pessac, France

    Eric Grelet, Sébastien Dardel, Harald Bock & Frédéric Nallet

  2. Insitut des Nanosciences de Paris, Universités Paris 6 et 7, 140 Rue de Lourmel, 75015, Paris, France

    Michel Goldmann & Emmanuelle Lacaze

  3. Université Paris 5 René Descartes, 45 rue des Saints Pères, 75231, Paris Cedex 06, France

    Michel Goldmann

Authors
  1. Eric Grelet
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sébastien Dardel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Harald Bock
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Michel Goldmann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Emmanuelle Lacaze
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Frédéric Nallet
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Eric Grelet.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Grelet, E., Dardel, S., Bock, H. et al. Morphology of open films of discotic hexagonal columnar liquid crystals as probed by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction. Eur. Phys. J. E 31, 343–349 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2010-10586-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2010-10586-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation