| abstract |
The invention is a process for preparing a polymeric liquid crystal composition, e.g., a film or fiber, comprising aligning a nematic or smectic monomeric mesophase (liquid crystal monomer) and photopolymerizing the mesophase, characterized in that the mesophase is aligned in a multi-oriented state prior to photopolymerizing the mesophase. Preferably, alignment is a two or more step process wherein the first step comprises aligning the mesophase in a homeotropic or homogeneous alignment using conventional techniques or linearly polarized light (described below), and the second and subsequent steps comprise aligning a portion of the mesophase using linearly polarized light. |