Sticking effect of liquid crystal on photosensitive aligning materials

The sticking effect on photoaligning surfaces was investigated. We demonstrated that additional irradiation of photoaligning polymers with cinnamoil side groups with not-polarized UV-light strongly decreases their sticking parameter. We associate this effect with cross-linking of the flexible side-groups by UV light and, as a consequence, with light-induced strengthening of the photoaligning surface. Restriction of mobility of the flexible groups on the photoaligning surface (surface strengthening) resulted in depressing the sticking effect. The method of the decrease of the sticking effect by the light-induced strengthening is rather general, and it can be applied for any photoaligning materials undergoing a light-induced cross-linking of polymer fragments. For fluoro polyvinyl-cinnamate the light-induced strengthening allowed us to get the record value of the sticking parameter, S0 = 0.2%, which is better than traditional rubbed polyimide surfaces provide. Such a value of the sticking parameter along with other aligning characteristics allows considering fluoro polyvinyl-cinnamate as very prospective material for modern liquid crystal display technologies.