  The optical polarimetry technique is used to explore molecular ordering of
nematic liquid crystals 5FPFFPP3 embedded in parallel cylindrical channels of
alumina membranes with pore walls covered by a SE-1211 polymer film enhancing
normal anchoring. A chemical film deposition from organic solution apparently
results in inhomogeneous coverage with local islands on the channels walls.
Accordingly, a coexistence of differently ordered LC regions (nanodomains),
characterized by positive and negative anisotropy, results in a weak effective
(average) optical birefringence. Repeated polymer deposition reduces the size
of uncovered pore walls regions and thus leads to a strengthening of negative
optical anisotropy observed in the experiments.
