Deuteron NMR study of monolayer thick films of nematogenic molecules

We present a deuteron NMR study of molecular thickness films of a nematogenic material in cylindrical pores. Compared to liquid crystal in bulk or completely filling the pores, a reduced quadrupole splitting is found. It strongly depends on thickness, but only weakly on temperature, even crossing the bulk nematic-isotropic transition. This demonstrates the presence of a 2D-like film that eventually coexists with a bulklike phase suggesting a dewetting behavior. Motionally averaged angular patterns with biaxiallike features reveal unexpectedly fast surface molecular diffusion.