Certain polymer-coated solid surfaces prepared to produce an isotropic (random) planar liquid-crystal boundary condition can be rendered strongly anisotropic by exposure to orientationally ordered liquid-crystal phases. This effect reveals a plastic coupling of liquid crystal molecular orientation to hydrophobic surfaces which is absent for hydrophyilic surfaces.

• Received 3 May 1985

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.55.292