Lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals in aligned films for applications as polarizing coatings

Abstract We describe dried oriented films with anisotropic structural and optical properties prepared from the aqueous solutions of plank‐like molecules, the so‐called Lyotropic Chromonic Liquid Crystals (LCLCs). The dried LCLC films may be used as optical elements, such as polarizers, compensators, color filters, or retardation plates in the UV, visible, or infrared parts of spectrums. The optical quality of the films is determined by the uniformity of the molecular alignment, which often distorted by periodic variations of the director field. We describe different ways to improve the alignment properties of the films by using additives. We present compositions capable of polarizing effects in visible and UV parts of spectrum.