Polar Self-Organization of Ferroelectric Nematic-Liquid-Crystal Molecules on Atomically Flat Au(111) Surface

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Polar Self-Organization of Ferroelectric Nematic-Liquid-Crystal Molecules on Atomically Flat Au(111) Surface

Alexandr A. Marchenko, Oleksiy L. Kapitanchuk, Yaroslava Yu. Lopatina, Kostiantyn G. Nazarenko, Anton I. Senenko, Nathalie Katsonis, Vassili G. Nazarenko, and Oleg D. Lavrentovich

Phys. Rev. Lett. 132, 098101 – Published 29 February 2024

Abstract

Understanding nanoscale mechanisms responsible for the recently discovered ferroelectric nematics can be helped by direct visualization of self-assembly of strongly polar molecules. Here, we report on scanning tunneling microscopy studies of monomolecular layers of a ferroelectric nematic liquid crystal on a reconstructed Au(111) surface. The monolayers are obtained by deposition from a solution at ambient conditions. The adsorbed ferroelectric nematic molecules self-assemble into regular rows with tilted orientation, resembling a layered structure of a smectic C. Remarkably, each molecular dipole in this architecture is oriented along the same direction giving rise to polar ferroelectric ordering.

Received 8 September 2023
Revised 15 December 2023
Accepted 26 January 2024

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.098101

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Self-assembly Surface & interfacial phenomena

Ferroelectrics Liquid crystals

Polymers & Soft MatterCondensed Matter, Materials & Applied Physics

Authors & Affiliations

Alexandr A. Marchenko ^1,2, Oleksiy L. Kapitanchuk ³, Yaroslava Yu. Lopatina ^1,2, Kostiantyn G. Nazarenko ^4,5, Anton I. Senenko ¹, Nathalie Katsonis ², Vassili G. Nazarenko ^1,6, and Oleg D. Lavrentovich ⁷

¹Institute of Physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 46 Nauki Avenue, Kyiv 03028, Ukraine
²Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747AG Groningen, The Netherlands
³Bogolyubov Institute for Theoretical Physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 14-B Metrologichna Street, Kyiv 03143, Ukraine
⁴Institute of Organic Chemistry of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 5 Academician Kukhar St., Kyiv 02660, Ukraine
⁵Ukraine Enamine Ltd., 78 Winston Churchill St., Kyiv 02094, Ukraine
⁶Institute of Physical Chemistry, PAS, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland
⁷Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute, Department of Physics, Materials Science Graduate Program, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, USA