Liquid-crystalline polymers: Past, present, and future

The main steps of the evolution in studies related to the design and investigation of the structure and properties of thermotropic LC polymers containing mesogenic groups are discussed. The principal attention is focused on the results of experiments performed at the Laboratory of Chemical Transformations of Polymers, Faculty of Chemistry, Moscow State University, which was established and guided by Academician N.A. Platé from 1966 to 1985 and then supervised by V.P. Shibaev, the author of this review. Historical evidence is presented to demonstrate the contribution of Russian scientists to the development of approaches to the synthesis and study of chiral and electro- and photocontrollable comb-shaped LC polymers and related composites. The concept of preparing multifunctional LC copolymers and LC networks containing mesogenic, chiral, photochromic, and functional (including ionophoric) groups that can undergo hydrogen bonding, form complexes with metal ions, and interact with nanoparticles is scrutinized. Specific features of the structural organization of polymer mesophases are covered. The data on multifunctional comb-shaped LC polymers, LC ionomers, and LC dendrimers are examined, and the problems concerning the design of light-controllable LC copolymers and polymer photochromic composites and networks are reviewed. Some applied aspects of using LC polymers are considered: specifically, approaches to creation of lasers based on cholesterics and photo- and electroactive media in optics and photonics, systems for data recording and storage, holography, display technology, and other fields.     

Photo-optical properties of new combined chiral photochromic liquid crystalline copolymers

For the first time, a series of cholesteric copolymers containing combined chiral photochromic side groups has been synthesized and the phase behaviour and optical properties of the copolymers have been characterized. Specific features of the photochemical and photo-optical behaviour of such systems were studied, and the quantum yields of the photo-induced process in solution and in the condensed state of the cholesteric copolymers were calculated. The selective light reflection wavelength was found to be controlled by the UV radiation. The synthesized polymers were shown to be promising candidates for colour data recording.     

A comparative study of photo-optical behaviour of photosensitive chiral copolymers with cholesteric mesophases induced in nematogenic and smectogenic matrices

The photo-optical behaviour of two series of chiral photochromic acrylic copolymers with a chiral nematic phase has been studied. These copolymers contain identical chiral photochromic units, but have different structures of the phenyl benzoate mesogenic side groups which are responsible for the development of LC phases. This approach allowed us to examine specific features of the photo-optical behaviour of the copolymers as a function of the nature of the LC 'matrix' in which the cholesteric phase was induced. The action of UV irradiation was shown to lead to the E-Z isomerization of the chiral side groups and, as a consequence, to untwisting of the cholesteric helix of the copolymers. For copolymers of both series, the effective quantum yields of this photochemical process were calculated. In the case of copolymers in which the cholesteric mesophase is induced in a smectogenic matrix, the corresponding values of the quantum yield are lower and depend slightly on temperature. A plausible explanation of the above phenomena is suggested.     

A comparative study of photo-optical behaviour of photosensitive chiral copolymers with cholesteric mesophases induced in nematogenic and smectogenic matrices

The photo-optical behaviour of two series of chiral photochromic acrylic copolymers with a chiral nematic phase has been studied. These copolymers contain identical chiral photochromic units, but have different structures of the phenyl benzoate mesogenic side groups which are responsible for the development of LC phases. This approach allowed us to examine specific features of the photo-optical behaviour of the copolymers as a function of the nature of the LC 'matrix' in which the cholesteric phase was induced. The action of UV irradiation was shown to lead to the E-Z isomerization of the chiral side groups and, as a consequence, to untwisting of the cholesteric helix of the copolymers. For copolymers of both series, the effective quantum yields of this photochemical process were calculated. In the case of copolymers in which the cholesteric mesophase is induced in a smectogenic matrix, the corresponding values of the quantum yield are lower and depend slightly on temperature. A plausible explanation of the above phenomena is suggested.     

Large Thermally Irreversible Photoinduced Shift of Selective Light Reflection in Hydrazone-Containing Cholesteric Polymer Systems

Stimuli responsive liquid crystalline polymers are a unique class of so-called “smart” materials demonstrating various types of mesomorphic structures easily controlled by external fields, including light. In the present work we synthesized and studied a comb-shaped hydrazone-containing copolyacrylate exhibited cholesteric liquid crystalline properties with the pitch length of the helix being tuned under irradiation with light. In the cholesteric phase selective light reflection in the near IR spectral range (1650 nm) was measured and a large blue shift of the reflection peak from 1650 nm to 500 nm was found under blue light (428 or 457 nm) irradiation. This shift is related to the Z-E isomerization of photochromic hydrazone-containing groups and it is photochemically reversible. The improved and faster photo-optical response was found after copolymer doping with 10 wt % of low-molar-mass liquid crystal. It is noteworthy that both, the E and Z isomers of hydrazone photochromic group are thermally stable that enable to achieve a pure photoinduced switch without any dark relaxation at any temperatures. The large photoinduced shift of the selective light reflection, together with thermal bistability, makes such systems promising for applications in photonics.     

光致变色聚合物研究进展

本文主要介绍了9类光致变色聚合物的研究状况,包括光致变色螺吡喃聚合物、螺嗪聚合物、二芳基乙烯光致变色聚合物、偶氮苯类光致变色聚合物、苯氧基萘并萘醌光致变色聚合物、俘精酰亚胺光致变色共聚物、硫靛光致变色共聚物、双硫腙光致变色聚合物以及二氢吲嗪光致变色聚合物等。讨论了聚合物的合成、光致变色性质、影响聚合物性质的因素,并对光致变色聚合物未来的研究重点和方向作了展望。     

Photosensitive cholesteric polymers with azobenzene-containing chiral groups and mixtures of cholesteric copolymer with chiral-photochromic dopants

New chiral photochromic cholesteric comb-shaped acrylic copolymers and low molecular mass dopants containing azobenzene photosensitive fragments and chiral groups based on menthol and menthone were synthesized. For the copolymers and their mixtures with low molecular mass dopants, the phase behaviour and optical properties were studied. Under irradiation with UV and visible light, the untwisting of cholesteric helix takes place, and the selective light reflection maximum is shifted to the long wavelength spectral region. This shift is related to the E-Z isomerization of the azobenzene chiral groups. For the copolymers and mixtures of the cholesteric polymer with the menthyl-containing dopant, this process is thermally reversible. The specific features of the kinetics of the forward and the reverse thermal processes were characterized. It was demonstrated, that the copolymers and mixtures of the cholesteric copolymer with the menthyl-containing dopant may be used for coloured reversible recording of optical information. For such materials, their resistance with respect to the repeated 'recording-erasing' cycles was tested, and the fatigue resistance was shown to be rather high.     

Photo-orientation phenomena in photosensitive chiral nematic copolymers

Photo-orientational phenomena have been studied for two comb-shaped cholesteric copolyacrylates containing azobenzene side groups. Copolymer^I contains nematogenic phenyl benzoate groups and photosensitive chiral menthyl-containing azobenzene side groups. Copolymer^II is composed of nematogenic phenyl benzoate groups, photosensitive cyanoazobenzene groups and chiral photochromic benzylidene-^p-methan-3-one fragments. Under the action of polarized Ar⁺ laser light (488 nm), orientation of the side groups of the copolymers takes place, and this orientation is perpendicular to the vector of the electric field of the incident light. This process shows a co-operative character; that is, it involves both photosensitive azobenzene and phenyl benzoate groups. The kinetics of growth of the photoinduced orientational order parameter were studied as a function of film thickness, incident light intensity, and preliminary UV irradiation. For the planar oriented films of the copolymers, irradiation with polarized light leads to the development of photoinduced birefringence Δⁿ; maximum values of Δⁿ reach 0.01. The photo-optical properties of copolymers^I and ^II are compared. Such materials may be used for 'dual' data recording by varying the helix pitch, selective light reflection maximum, and photoinduced birefringence or linear dichroism.     

Photosensitive cholesteric polymers with azobenzene-containing chiral groups and mixtures of cholesteric copolymer with chiral-photochromic dopants

New chiral photochromic cholesteric comb-shaped acrylic copolymers and low molecular mass dopants containing azobenzene photosensitive fragments and chiral groups based on menthol and menthone were synthesized. For the copolymers and their mixtures with low molecular mass dopants, the phase behaviour and optical properties were studied. Under irradiation with UV and visible light, the untwisting of cholesteric helix takes place, and the selective light reflection maximum is shifted to the long wavelength spectral region. This shift is related to the E-Z isomerization of the azobenzene chiral groups. For the copolymers and mixtures of the cholesteric polymer with the menthyl-containing dopant, this process is thermally reversible. The specific features of the kinetics of the forward and the reverse thermal processes were characterized. It was demonstrated, that the copolymers and mixtures of the cholesteric copolymer with the menthyl-containing dopant may be used for coloured reversible recording of optical information. For such materials, their resistance with respect to the repeated 'recording-erasing' cycles was tested, and the fatigue resistance was shown to be rather high.     

The effect of silver nanoparticles on the phase state of comb-shaped liquid crystalline polymers with cyanobiphenyl mesogenic groups

A new approach is proposed for the preparation of a new class of hybrid polymer systems based on comb-shaped LC polymers with cyanobiphenyl mesogenic groups and silver nanoparticles with dimensions ranging from 5 to 54 nm. A correlation between copolymer composition and dimensions of the formed nanoparticles is established. As the concentration of nanoparticles in LC copolymer is increased, the resultant glass transition temperature increases, and the temperature interval of the existence of LC phase is reduced. This behavior is related to the adsorption of cyanobiphenyl and carboxylic polymer groups on the surface of silver nanoparticles. In this case, the conductivity and dielectric permittivity of the composites are also increased.     

New types of multifunctional liquid crystalline photochromic copolymers for optical data recording and storage

A new family of multifunctional chiral‐photochromic liquid crystalline (LC) copolymers containing mesogenic, chiral and photoactive groups were synthesized. The new principles of photo‐regulation of the helical supramolecular structure and optical properties of the binary and ternary chiral‐photochromic LC polymers based on the change of helical twisting power of the chiral‐photochromic monomer units, the dual photochromism and photochemical spectral gap burning were developed. It was shown, that the introduction of small amount of low‐molar‐mass chiral‐photochromic dopants in chiral LC copolymers having different helix signs followed by light irradiation permits one to twist or untwist the helical supramolecular structure. The synthesized polymers are shown to be promising candidates for colour data recording and storage.     

Synthesis and characterization of side chain liquid crystalline polymers exhibiting cholesteric and blue phases

A series of cyclosiloxane-based cholesteric liquid crystalline (LC) polymers were synthesized from a cholesteric LC monomer cholest-5-en-3-yl(3β) 4-(2-propenyloxy)benzoate and a nematic LC monomer butyl 4-[4-(2-propenyloxy)benzoxy]benzoate. All the polymers exhibit thermotropic LC properties and show cholesteric phases. Most of the polymers display four types of phase transition behaviour corresponding to glass transition, melting point, cholesteric phase-blue phase transition and clearing point. The mesophase temperature range of the blue phases are as broad as 20°C. The blue phase was confirmed by the apperance of planar textures and cubic packings. With an increase of non-chiral component in the polymers, the clearing point decreases slightly, while the glass transition and melting temperatures change little. In the reflection spectra of the polymer series the reflected wavelength broadens and shifts to longer wavelength with increase of the non-chiral component in the polymer systems, suggesting that the helical pitch P lengthens.     

Fluorescent and photo-optical properties of hydrogen-bonded polymer liquid-crystalline composites based on derivatives of stilbazole and crown ethers

New hydrogen-bonded photochromic stilbazole- and crown-ether-containing polymer LC composites are prepared and characterized. A smectic homopolymer with p-oxybenzoic groups, a nematic homopolymer carrying phenylmethoxy benzoate groups, and a nematic copolymer containing p-oxybenzoic and phenylmethoxy benzoate groups are synthesized and used as polymer matrices for these composites. The phase behavior and photo-optical properties of LC composites of various compositions are studied. A marked difference is observed in the fluorescence spectra for hydrogen-stabilized LC mixtures and model mixtures not forming hydrogen bonds. This effect is explained by the reversible transfer of proton of carboxyl groups involved in hydrogen bonding. It is shown that the complexation of crown-ether-containing groups of LC composites with potassium ions leads to a dramatic reduction in the intensity of fluorescence. This phenomenon may be used for creation of a new generation of sensors for metal ions.     

Polarization holographic grating recording in the cholesteric azobenzene‐containing films with the phototunable helix pitch

The recording of polarization gratings in films of a cholesteric liquid crystalline polymer with different helix pitch was studied in detail. For this purpose, the cholesteric mixture of the nematic azobenzene‐containing copolymer with a chiral‐photochromic dopant was prepared. The utilization of such mixture has made possible to realize dual optical photorecording in one system, first due to the phototuning of the helix pitch by UV light and second the polarization grating recording process by exposure with polarized visible light. The diffraction efficiency strongly depends on the cholesteric helix pitch and films thickness: the increase of the confinement ratio d/p (where d, film thickness; p, helix pitch) results in growth of the diffraction efficiency. Comparison of the induction of polarization gratings in cholesteric, nematic (copolymer without chiral dopant), and amorphous (nonannealed) cholesteric films revealed that only the cholesteric films were characterized by significant oscillations in the diffraction efficiency signal as well as by the presence of the maximum in the first‐order diffraction efficiency in the initial stage of the grating recording process. It was found that in addition to the polarization grating surface relief gratings (SRGs) were also formed in the studied systems, however, the amplitude of the SRG inscribed in the cholesteric films was lower (～20 nm) compared to the grating amplitude obtained in nematic films (～60 nm). Moreover, increasing helix pitch resulted in a decrease of the SRG amplitude. The obtained experimental data demonstrate the great potential of cholesteric LC mixtures of such type for different applications as photoactive materials for photonics. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2014 , 52, 773–781     

Induction of the cholesteric mesophase in hydrogen-bonded blends of polymers with a low molecular mass chiral dopant

A family of new hydrogen bonded complexes based on comb-shaped LC copolymers containing alkyloxy-4-oxybenzoic acid mesogenic fragments and chiral dopant molecules, derivatives of pyridine-4-carboxylic acid has been prepared. At concentrations of chiral groups in the range 1-25 mol%, induction of the cholesteric phase is observed. The temperature dependences of the selective light reflection wavelength were studied, and the helix twisting power was calculated. Depending on the type of polymer nematic matrix, this value varies in the range 12.1 to 18.3mum 1. With respect to optical properties, the chiral nematic phase in the hydrogen-bonded complexes is comparable to that in classical cholesteric copolymers in which the chiral group is covalently bound to the polymer chain.     

Synthesis,metal ion binding,and photochromic properties of benzo- and naphthopyrans annelated by crown ether moieties

Combining a photochromic chromene with a crown ether moiety results in systems in which photochromism and ionophoric properties could significantly influence each other. In this paper, we report the synthesis of several chromenes annelated by 15(18)-crown-5(6) ethers. The approach involves the building of the photochromic fragment upon the initial crown ether via phenols. The two main routes for chromene preparation are discussed. The complex formation of the synthesized photochromic crown-containing naphthopyran with magnesium(II) and barium(II) cations was studied. The kinetic behavior of the colored form of the compound is affected by complex formation.     

Photo-orientation phenomena in photosensitive chiral nematic copolymers

Photo-orientational phenomena have been studied for two comb-shaped cholesteric copolyacrylates containing azobenzene side groups. Copolymer ^I contains nematogenic phenyl benzoate groups and photosensitive chiral menthyl-containing azobenzene side groups. Copolymer ^II is composed of nematogenic phenyl benzoate groups, photosensitive cyanoazobenzene groups and chiral photochromic benzylidene- ^p -methan-3-one fragments. Under the action of polarized Ar⁺ laser light (488 nm), orientation of the side groups of the copolymers takes place, and this orientation is perpendicular to the vector of the electric field of the incident light. This process shows a co-operative character; that is, it involves both photosensitive azobenzene and phenyl benzoate groups. The kinetics of growth of the photoinduced orientational order parameter were studied as a function of film thickness, incident light intensity, and preliminary UV irradiation. For the planar oriented films of the copolymers, irradiation with polarized light leads to the development of photoinduced birefringence δ ⁿ ; maximum values of δ ⁿ reach 0.01. The photo-optical properties of copolymers ^I and ^II are compared. Such materials may be used for ‘dual’ data recording by varying the helix pitch, selective light reflection maximum, and photoinduced birefringence or linear dichroism.     

Cholesteric mixture containing a chiral azobenzene-based dopant: material with reversible photoswitching of the pitch of the helix

A new low molar mass chiral-photochromic dopant was synthesized. It contains a menthyl fragment as the chiral group and an azobenzene group, capable of E - Z photoisomerization, as the photochromic component. The substance obtained was used as a chiral dopant in mixtures with a comb-shaped cholesteric acrylic copolymer with menthyl-containing chiral side groups and phenyl benzoate nematogenic side groups. Such mixtures form a cholesteric mesophase. The chiral dopant led to an additional twisting of the cholesteric helix, i.e. to a shift of the selective light reflection peak to a shorter wavelength region of the spectrum. The initial copolymer gave selective light reflection in the spectral range 1200-1400 nm; the mixture containing 3.5 mol % of chiral-photochromic dopant reflects light with λ_max~ 850 nm. The action of light with λ_ir~ 440 nm results in E - Z isomerization of the azo-group of the chiral dopant and in a shift of the selective light reflection peak to the long wavelength region of the spectrum (amplitude of shift = 30 nm). This is explained by a lower helical twisting power of the Z-isomer of the chiral dopant. This process is thermally reversible: annealing of irradiated films leads to a back shift of the selective light reflection peak to the short wavelength region of the spectrum due to Z - E isomerization. Kinetic features of the direct and backward processes of isomerization were studied: it was shown, that mixtures of the chiralphotochromic azobenzene-containing dopant with cholesteric polymers give new possibilities for the creation of polymer materials with a reversibly regulated helical supramolecular structure which determines their optical properties.     

Dependence of turbidity oscillations of self-oscillating polymers on the selective recognition of the crown ether receptors contained in the polymer chain

The turbidity oscillations of self-oscillating polymers in the Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction system depending on the crown ether receptors contained in the polymer network have been studied. The three monomers are copolymerized, namely, N-isopropylacrylamide, the metal catalyst monomer for the BZ reaction, and the crown ether receptor monomer, to prepare the self-oscillating polymers used in this study. The turbidity oscillations are characterized by monitoring the transmittance of the polymer solution in the BZ reaction system at a specific wavelength of 570 nm. The oscillations are varied by crown ether receptors used in the polymerization process, i.e., BCAm(6) or BCAm(5), for the selective recognition of specific cations between potassium and sodium ions in the solution. The selective recognition of the BCAm receptors in the polymer chain for the two ions has brought out a variation in the turbidity oscillations by a change in the hydrophilicity of the polymer chain. The oscillations of the polymer solution composed of the BCAm(5) receptor are more influenced by sodium ion, while the polymer solution of BCAm(6) receptor is affected by potassium ion. However, the oscillation patterns of the redox changes obtained by these solution systems look much alike despite the differences in the polymer chain by crown ether receptors and cations of bromate used for the BZ reaction.     

Photochemical tuning capability of cholesteric liquid crystal cells containing chiral dopants end capped with menthyl groups

In order to investigate the photochemical tuning capability of chiral monomers and polymers containing end-capped menthyl groups, a new series of chiral dopants was synthesized and added to commercially available nematic liquid crystals to induce cholesteric liquid crystal (LC) phases. The addition of chiral dopants with azo structure led to phototunability of the reflection colour of the LC cells. Photochromic variation of the LC cells due to photoisomerization of the azo compound was investigated. After photopolymerization of the monomers inside the cholesteric LC cells, the centre wavelength of the reflected band of the incident light was found to be fixed and the reflected bandwidth was broadened, resulting in a red shift. A schematic representation of both the photoisomerization of the azo dopants and its effect on variation of twisting pitches is proposed. Real image recording was performed using 365 nm UV through a mask with text. The top and side views of the morphological network structures of a fabricated cholesteric LC cell were investigated using scanning electron microscopy. The results of this investigation demonstrated that RGB reflected colours of LC cells can easily be achieved through the addition of the menthyl-containing synthesized chiral compounds to nematic LCs. The addition of synthesized AzoM helped further in recording the patterns onto cholesteric LC films using 365 nm UV exposure.