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Title
Japanese: 
English:A design principle of polymers processable into 2D homeotropic order 
Author
Japanese: Chen Zhen, Yi-Tsu Yi-Tsu, Daigo Miyajima, 梶谷孝, 小阪敦子, 福島孝典, Jose M. Lobez, 相田卓三.  
English: Chen Zhen, Yi-Tsu Yi-Tsu, Daigo Miyajima, Takashi Kajitani, Atsuko Kosaka, Takanori Fukushima, Jose M. Lobez, Takuzo Aida.  
Language English 
Journal/Book name
Japanese: 
English:Nature Communications 
Volume, Number, Page Vol. 7       
Published date Nov. 2016 
Publisher
Japanese: 
English: 
Conference name
Japanese: 
English: 
Conference site
Japanese: 
English: 
DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms13640
Abstract How to orient polymers homeotropically in thin films has been a long-standing issue in polymer science because polymers intrinsically prefer to lie down. Here we provide a design principle for polymers that are processable into a 2D homeotropic order. The key to this achievement was a recognition that cylindrical polymers can be designed to possess oppositely directed local dipoles in their cross-section, which possibly force polymers to tightly connect bilaterally, affording a 2D rectangular assembly. With a physical assistance of the surface grooves on Teflon sheets that sandwich polymer samples, homeotropic ordering is likely nucleated and gradually propagates upon hot-pressing towards the interior of the film. Consequently, the 2D rectangular lattice is constructed such that its b axis (side chains) aligns along the surface grooves, while its c axis (polymer backbone) aligns homeotropically on a Teflon sheet. This finding paves the way to molecularly engineered 2D polymers with anomalous functions.

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