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.