Synthesis of Vertically Aligned Helical Polyacetylene Films in Homeotropic Chiral Nematic Liquid Crystals

Abstract
Vertically aligned helical polyacetylene thin films were synthesized by adding a chiral dopant into homeotropic nematic LC solvent to induce chiral nematic phase with homeotropic orientation. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) measurements showed that twisted polyacetylene fibrils are grown along the direction of film thickness, giving vertically aligned helical fibrillar morphology.