Sum-Frequency Vibrational Spectroscopic Study of a Rubbed Polymer Surface

Xing Wei; Xiaowei Zhuang; Seok-Cheol Hong; Tomohisa Goto; Y. R. Shen

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.82.4256

Sum-Frequency Vibrational Spectroscopic Study of a Rubbed Polymer Surface

Xing Wei, Xiaowei Zhuang, Seok-Cheol Hong, Tomohisa Goto, and Y. R. Shen

Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 4256 – Published 24 May 1999

Abstract

Sum-frequency vibrational spectroscopy has been used to probe the chain orientation of polyvinyl alcohol at the surface after rubbing. The distribution function of the chain orientation is determined quantitatively. The orientational order parameter of the chains deduced from the distribution matches well with that of a liquid crystal monolayer deposited on the polymer, proving that the polymer surface can align a liquid crystal film through orientational epitaxy.

Received 24 December 1998

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.82.4256

Authors & Affiliations

Xing Wei, Xiaowei Zhuang^*, Seok-Cheol Hong, Tomohisa Goto^†, and Y. R. Shen

Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-7300

^*Present address: Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-4060.
^†Present address: Organic Material Research Laboratory, NEC Corporation, Kanagawa 216, Japan.