Morphological Investigation of Liquid Crystal/Polymer Mixtures Induced by Patterned Ultraviolet Light

The morphology of polymer-walls in liquid crystal/monomer mixtures, produced by irradiating selective areas of a cell with non-uniform ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation through a photomask to induce phase separation by photopolymerization, have been investigated using both optical and scanning electron microscopy. It was found that it is possible regulate the morphology of the polymer-walls by controlling the photopolymerization process which occurs during curing in two-phase region. The mechanisms of polymer-wall formation are complex, including local photopolymerization and diffusion processes.