Development of rubbing free alignment layer using liquid crystalline polyimide based on mechanisms of interaction between liquid crystal molecules and polymer at the interface

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K20992
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Polymer chemistry; Polymer/Textile materials
• Research Institution: Tokyo Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Ishige Ryohei 東京工業大学, 物質理工学院, 助教 (20625264)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 高分子液晶 / ポリイミド / 配向膜

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In order to prepare highly oriented and homogeneous film of aromatic polyimides (PIs) in simple processes, poly(amic ester) (PAE) precursors with long alkyl side chain and long persistence length were newly designed and synthesized because they have a potential to form lyotropic liquid crystal (LC) phase at room temperature. The solutions of the PAE exhibited LC phase and highly oriented film could be prepared by shearing the LC solution. The molecular orientation was maintained during thermal curing involving imidization reaction and highly oriented homogeneous PI films were successfully obtained. Moreover, it was revealed that the PI segments were generated along the orientation direction of the glassy LC matrix of the precursor to increase the orientation order spontaneously

Free Research Field

高分子構造

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

特定方向の分子鎖が配列したポリイミドPI膜は，液晶ディスプレイの配向膜や高性能のフレキシブル光学素子（偏光子，波長板）等への応用展開が期待される．一般に前駆体溶液から調製されるPI膜では，分子鎖は膜面に沿う傾向はあるが，面内において分子鎖は特定の方向に配列してはいない．本研究で得られた液晶場中での反応に伴う分子鎖の自発的配向の知見は，高配向のPI膜のより容易な作製方法を提供する．