A functionally separated nanoimprinting material tailored for homeotropic liquid crystal alignment

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.