Interfacial molecular self-assembled films of amphiphilic disclike molecules induce uniform alignment of nematic liquid crystals

A series of novel amphiphilic disclike molecules with hydrophobic non-polar alkyl chains attached to hydrophilic amino substituted 1,3,5-triazine units were synthesized. These molecules showed sufficient self-assembled properties at interfaces through adopting a conventional solution-based self-assembly technique. The self-assembly structures and surface morphologies of the self-assembled films had been studied by X-ray diffraction technique and atomic force microscopy techniques, respectively. It was found that the self-assembled arrangement and consequential hydrophobicity of the films made it feasible to be used as a liquid crystal (LC) alignment layer. The orientation of LC molecules induced by the self-assembled disclike molecules had been observed and detected. The roles of the arrangement of the disclike molecules and its amphiphilic structures interacted with LC were discussed. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.