| abstract |
Methods of grafting a liquid crystalline coating onto a substrate, and articles comprising a substrate with a liquid crystalline coating are disclosed. The liquid crystalline coatings can be formed by (a) applying a primer layer comprising a Type II photoinitiator to a surface of the substrate, then (b) applying a coating mixture that comprises one or more liquid crystalline monomers to the surface of the substrate, and then (c) irradiating the coating mixture to form the liquid crystalline coating. The coating mixture can further comprise a second amount of a Type II photoinitiator. The methods can be performed in open air, at room temperature, or at ambient pressure, and the resulting liquid crystalline coatings can exhibit improved adhesive properties to the substrate. |