High-density poly(hexyl methacrylate) brushes offering a surface for near-zero azimuthal anchoring of liquid crystals at room temperature

High-density poly(hexyl methacrylate) (PHMA) brushes offered a near-zero azimuthal anchoring surface for nematic liquid crystals (NLCs) at room temperature. NLCs in a cell with PHMA-grafted substrates aligned along comb-shaped electrodes after a light push. The LC cell was driven at a threshold voltage five times lower than that of a conventional cell.