Correlation Between Bulk Orderings and Anchoring Structures of Liquid Crystals Studied by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy

Abstract

The anchoring structures of a homologous series of liquid crystals, n-alkylcyanobiphenyls (mCBs: m=7-12), on molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) are directly observed by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) in order to analyze the alignment mechanism of liquid crystals. Based on highly reproducible STM images, the anchoring structures of mCBs are clearly divided into two categories, a monolayer (single-row) type (7CB, 8CB, 9CB and 11CB) and a bilayer (double-row) type (10CB and 12CB). Here we propose the monolayer is the anchoring structure of a nematic phase, while the bilayer is the anchoring structure of a smectic phase. The correlation between bulk phase orderings and anchoring structures of liquid crystals is discussed from the viewpoint of surface-phase formation for the mCBs and different solid substrates.