Ordered Polymer Microstructures Synthesized from Dispersions of Liquid Crystal Mesogens

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
We have manufactured highly ordered polymer spheres, rods and fibrils from reactive mesogens using a template synthesis approach. The structures were fabricated by photo-polymerizing reactive mesogens in confining templates (spherical and cylindrical) while in the nematic phase. The spheres were produced from suspensions of a mesogen in glycerol and the rods and fibrils by a confining template method. The dielectric and optical anisotropy of the liquid crystalline monomer is captured by photo-polymerization. The balls are Electro-Mechano-Optical (EIMO) in nature undergoing a mechanical reorientation in the presence of an applied electric field, and therefore may be useful for electro-optic applications. The fibrils possess unusual properties due to their anisotropy and can be used to produce mesoscopic structures by self assembly. We present a number of these novel structures and methods for their fabrication.