Directing the Smectic Layer Orientation by Shear Flow in Hierarchical Lamellar-within-lamellar Liquid Crystalline Diblock Copolymers

A self-assembled lamellar-within-lamellar structure of a side chain liquid crystalline diblock copolymer was shear aligned to induce overall alignment and to direct the smectic layer orientation within the copolymer lamellae. The copolymer consisted of a polystyrene block and a poly(methyl methacrylate) block bearing cholesteryl mesogens with only short oxycarbonyloxyethyl spacers separating the mesogens from the backbone. Upon shearing, the copolymer lamellae exhibited uniaxial alignment whereas the smectic layers of the mesogens showed coexisting perpendicular and parallel orientations with respect to the copolymer lamellae. The fraction of the parallel oriented domains could be systematically increased by tuning the oscillation frequency and strain amplitude.