Uniaxial alignment of the columnar super-structure of a hexa (alkyl) hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene on untreated glass by simple solution processing.

Uniaxially aligned, thin films of a discotic columnar thermotropic liquid crystalline material can be prepared by a simple solution zone-casting method, without the need for modified surfaces or traditional alignment techniques. Atomic force microscopy together with X-ray diffraction reveals single-crystalline-like order over several square centimeters, far exceeding the requirements for application of such films in organic molecular electronic devices such as field-effect transistors.