Liquid Crystal Alignment on Sheared DNA Films
ORAL
Abstract
We have studied the alignment of commercial nematic and smectic A liquid crystals (8CB, 6CB, CCN47, MBBA) on the chiral surface obtained by shearing double stranded DNA on a glass surface. Simple characterization of hybrid cells (DNA-homeotropic) and partially sliding cells (DNA-GLYMO) reveal that the nematic director at the DNA surface is oriented at an angle from 50$^{\circ}$ to 100$^{\circ}$ with respect to the shearing direction, indicating that the liquid crystal molecules align preferentially perpendicularly to the DNA grooves. These observations present clear evidence for a large chiral orientational effect in the anchoring of a typical nematic/SmA LC on dehydrated sheared DNA films.
*Work was supported by NSF Grant DMR 0606528 and NSF MRSEC Grant 0213918.
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