摘要
In order to homeotropically align liquid crystals (LCs) at the nanosized surface grooves processed by nanoimprint lithography technology (NIL), we propose to design a hybrid-type homeotropic polymer material consisting of two distinct moieties with largely different thermo-mechanical properties and surface activity. Surface contact angle measurements and sum-frequency vibrational spectroscopy allow us to conclude that the polymer film is a functionally separated composite suitable for the homeotropic LC alignment processed by NIL. As one of the potential applications using the hybrid-type homeotropic polymer, we demonstrate that the nanoimprinted grooves at the polymer surface can achieve a zenithal nematic LC bistability. © IOP Publishing Ltd.