The present invention provides an optically anisotropic composite film
material possessing improved working characteristics, including
hydrolytic stability and mechanical strength with respect to
environmental factors. These and other advantages of the present
invention may be achieved by creating a supramolecular composite film
material. This supramolecular composite film material comprises a matrix
of thin crystal film composed of organic supramolecules containing polar
groups, and a binding agent representing a water-soluble aliphatic
compound containing at least two functional groups.The present invention
further provides a method for manufacturing supramolecular composite film
materials possessing these advantageous properties. In one embodiment,
the method comprises the following steps: (i) formation of a layer of
lyotropic liquid crystal composed of supramolecules of a cyclic organic
compound with conjugated .pi.-systems and substituted polar groups; (ii)
application of an external orienting force to said layer and further
removal of a solvent with the resulting formation of a thin crystal film;
(iii) treatment of the thin crystal film with a solution of inorganic
salts leading to the formation of an insoluble crystalline film of
supramolecules composed of said organic molecules; (iv) impregnation of
said insoluble film with a binding agent capable of interacting with the
polar groups with the subsequent formation of a filled film; and (v)
drying of said filled film leading to the formation of a supramolecular
composite film material.