Alignment and wetting properties of nematic liquids

Contrary to recent claims, no correlation of useful predicting power exists between the tendency of a nematic liquid to align transverse to a solid surface and the difference between the surface free energies of the nematic liquid and of the substrate. Observations that lead to this conclusion are reported for systems in which (i) the composition but not the surface tension of the nematic liquid, (ii) the adsorbed layer and hence the surface free energy of the substrate, and (iii) the temperature is varied. © 1974 American Institute of Physics.