Dual‐curable fluorinated poly(methacrylate) copolymers for optical adhesives

In pursuit of photo‐curable adhesive for optical communication, dual‐curable acrylic oligomers (AOs) having alkoxy silane group, fluorine atoms and vinyl group as a pendent group were synthesized by two‐stage reactions. The isocyanate group containing oligomers were firstly synthesized via radical polymerization of acrylic monomers, and followed by urethane reaction with 2‐hydroxy ethyl methacrylate. The dual curing behaviors, e.g. thermal and photo‐cure, were studied by using photo‐differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and real‐time IR. An optimum adhesive formulation, based on AO (15 g), epoxy acrylate (80 g), isobonyl methacrylate (17 g) and photo‐initiator (3 g), was obtained. As the content of AO was increased in the optical adhesive formulation, refractive index decreased but transmittance increased due to the increase in fluorine content. The optical transmittance at the range of 1.3 to 1.55 μm was higher than 90%. The addition of colloidal silica with the earlier mentioned formulation was helpful in decreasing crosslinking volume shrinkage and the increasing of glass fiber adhesion. The required properties for the optical adhesive, including chemical resistance and thermal resistance, dimension stability, etc. were also investigated. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Optical and morphological characterization of polyacrylamide hydrogel and liquid crystal systems

In this work, the thermotropic liquid crystal MBBA (N-(4-methoxybenzilidene)-4-butylaniline), entrapped on hydrogels, based on cross-linked polyacrylamide (PAAm), was studied. The liquid crystalline phases of system were characterized by polarized optical microscopy (POM), refractive index, optical transmittance, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and water loss. It was verified the presence of birefringence on hydrogel + liquid crystal. The dynamic of formation of such birefringence finished 40 days after the hydrogel synthesis. The effective birefringence Δn, i.e., the difference on refractive index of polyacrylamide hydrogel to refractive index of hydrogel + liquid crystal (Δn₁) and the difference on refractive index of liquid crystal (MBBA) to refractive index of hydrogel + liquid crystal (Δn₂) are dependent of content of acrylamide (AAm) and MBBA on hydrogel. The increase on Δn₁ and Δn₂ with the polyacrylamide content on hydrogel was attributed to decreasing of the mobility liquid crystal inside the hydrogel. Also, an increase on MBBA concentration in the polymeric matrix provides a reduction in the values of optical transmittance in the system. The morphology observed by SEM shows that hydrogel + liquid crystal is more compact that PAAm hydrogels. The presence of MBBA causes an increase in hydrophobicity. The water loss speed is favored by the increase in the amount of MBBA present in the hydrogels.     

Synthesis and liquid crystal alignment properties of new cinnamate-based photocrosslinkable polymers

Because optical buffing can achieve aligning patterns with different azimuthal angles of the liquid crystal directors, photoalignment appears to be a very hopeful technique for designing complex LCD structures. Until recently, most photopolymers provided low anchoring and/or low tilt angles which are unsuitable for industrial applications. In this work, four new photocrosslinkable polymers based on biphenyl and naphthalene moieties have been prepared and characterized. These photopolymers have been irradiated with linearly polarized UV light, and liquid crystal cells have been made. The tilt angles generated by oblique irradiation have been measured as well as the anchoring energies. Finally, the stability of the liquid crystal alignment properties have been studied.     

Synthesis and liquid crystal alignment properties of new cinnamate-based photocrosslinkable polymers

Because optical buffing can achieve aligning patterns with different azimuthal angles of the liquid crystal directors, photoalignment appears to be a very hopeful technique for designing complex LCD structures. Until recently, most photopolymers provided low anchoring and/or low tilt angles which are unsuitable for industrial applications. In this work, four new photocrosslinkable polymers based on biphenyl and naphthalene moieties have been prepared and characterized. These photopolymers have been irradiated with linearly polarized UV light, and liquid crystal cells have been made. The tilt angles generated by oblique irradiation have been measured as well as the anchoring energies. Finally, the stability of the liquid crystal alignment properties have been studied.     

Polyurethane acrylate-stabilized cholesteric liquid crystal dispersions

Polymer stabilized cholesteric liquid crystals (PSCLCs) have been fabricated based on various structures of polyurethane acrylate (PUA) as well as conventional acrylate polymer, namely poly(1,6-hexanediol diacrylate). For PUA stabilized films, the transmittance spectra of cured films were essentially identical to those of uncured films, with no 'dead' reaction; whereas, using acrylate polymer; reflection greatly decreased upon curing and showed significant 'dead' reaction after the cessations of irradiation. The structure of PUA also had significant effects on the electro-optic performance, and these effects are interpreted in terms of elasticity and interfacial interaction between the polymer and LC.     

Synthesis and characterization of novel epoxy monomers and liquid crystal thermosets

Four new epoxy monomers have been synthesized and characterized as part of a program to prepare novel liquid crystal thermoset (LCT) materials. Three of the new epoxy monomers contained a biphenyl mesogen and were not liquid crystalline (LC). The remaining epoxy monomer, which contained a 1,4-dibenzoyloxybenzene mesogen, was synthesized in an overall yield of 30% and displayed a broad (83°C) nematic liquid crystalline phase. The new liquid crystalline epoxy monomer was cured at 120°C and postcured at 175°C with a stoichiometric amount of 1,4-phenylenediamine. The thermal transitions of the resulting LCT were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarized light optical microscopy (POM), thermomechanical analysis (TMA), and wide angle x-ray diffraction (WAXD) as a function of cure time and temperature. A process characterization diagram was constructed which shows that LCTs based on this new LC monomer can be processed in the liquid crystalline phase over a broad range of times and temperatures. Qualitative agreement with previous epoxy LCT results was found, as LCT's with smectic phases and without clearing temperatures were observed at long cure times (high crosslink densities), whereas nematic phases with clearing temperatures predominated in networks at short cure times (low crosslink densities). © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

环氧树脂基高分子分散液晶材料相分离过程的研究

根据高分子分散液晶材料在相分离过程中透光率的变化,研究了高分子分散液晶材料相分离过程与液晶浓度、温度的关系,观察到相分离过程中的周期性的起伏现象．对相分离过程与高分子分散液晶材料的电光性能作了初步探讨     

Evolution of structure and properties of a liquid crystalline epoxy during curing

The evolution of structure, and thermal and dynamic mechanical properties of a liquid crystalline epoxy during curing has been studied with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarized optical microscopy, x-ray scattering, and dynamic mechanical analysis. The liquid crystalline epoxy was the diglycidyl ether of 4,4′-dihydroxy-α-methylstilbene (DGEDHMS). Two curing agents were used in this study: a di-functional amine, the aniline adduct of DGEDHMS, and a tetra-functional sulfonamido amine, sulfanilamide. The effects of curing agent, cure time, and cure temperature have been investigated. Isothermal curing of the liquid crystalline epoxy with the di-functional amine and the tetra-functional sulfonamido amine causes an increase in the mesophase stability of the liquid crystalline epoxy resin. The curing also leads to various liquid crystalline textures, depending on the curing agent and cure temperature. These textures coarsen during the isothermal curing. Moreover, curing with both curing agents results in a layered structure with mesogenic units aligned perpendicular to the layer surfaces. The layer thickness decreases with cure temperature for the systems cured with the tetra-functional curing agent. The glass transition temperature of the cured networks rises with increasing cure temperature due to the increased crosslink density. The shear modulus of the cured networks shows a strong temperature dependence. However, it does not change appreciably with cure temperature. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 35 : 2363–2378, 1997     

Birefringent hydrogels based on PAAm and lyotropic liquid crystal: Optical, morphological and hydrophilic characterization

In this work, hydrogels of polyacrylamide (or PAAm) with confined lyotropic liquid crystal (potassium laurate-decanol-water, KL-DeOH-H₂O) (or LLC) were synthesized. The hydrogels were characterized by polarized optical microscopy (POM), refractometry, optical transmission, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Besides these techniques, the hydrophilicity of hydrogels was characterized by the degree of swelling. Based on POM, it was observed that the texture of the birefringent hydrogels obtained depends on their cross-linking density, and that it is formed soon after hydrogel synthesis. Refractometry results indicated an behavior antagonist to that obtained for the system constituted by thermotropic liquid crystal inserted into the PAAm lattice in relation to the dependence of Δn on the AAm concentration and the optical transmittance. SEM micrographs show that birefringent hydrogels present rougher surface when compared to the surface of PAAm hydrogels. For the same AAm concentrations, it was observed that the hydrogels with confined LLC present larger swelling values (Q) when compared to those of PAAm hydrogels. The loss of water by birefringent hydrogels is twofold slower than that of PAAm hydrogels. Hydrogels formed by PAAm and lyotropic liquid crystal synthesized in this work can be potentially used in optical devices.     

Morphology and electro-optic responses of poly(methyl methacrylate)/nematic liquid crystal composite films: Effect of the polymer molecular weight

The director configuration, state of liquid crystal (LC) phase aggregation, and the electooptic properties of thin polymer films of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) containing nematic liquid crystal have been studied. Measurements included scanning electron micrograph (SEM), polarized optical micrographs (POM), and transmittance response of the film with the applied electric AC voltage and frequency. Two types of PMMA with significantly different molecular weight (M_w) were used, and the effects of polymer molecular weight on morphology and electro-optic properties of the composite films were examined. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Curing behavior and kinetics of epoxy resins cured with liquid crystalline curing agent

This article describes the synthesis of a liquid crystalline curing agent 4,4′-bis-(4-amine-butyloxy)-biphenyl (BABB), and its application as a curing agent for the epoxy resin (DGEBA) in comparison with normal curing agent, 4,4′-diaminobiphenyl (DABP). BABB was investigated with polarized optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and small-angle X-ray scatting, and the results showed that BABB displayed smectic liquid crystalline phase. The curing behaviors of DGEBA cured with BABB and DABP were studied by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarized optical microscopy (POM), and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The results indicated that BABB showed a higher chemical reactivity than DABP. The kinetics was studied under isothermal conditions using an isoconversional method, and the isothermal DSC data can be fitted reasonably by an autocatalytic curing model. The nematic droplet texture was observed for the resulting polymer network of DGEBA/BABB system, while the DGEBA/DABP system showed an isotropic state. The storage modulus of DGEBA/BABB system was enhanced in comparison with DGEBA/DABP system because of the formation of LC phase, whereas the glass transition temperatures decreased because of the introduction of flexible spacer group.     

The geometrical optics approach for multidimensional liquid crystal cells

We present an approach based on the geometrical optics approximation (GOA) for analysis of liquid crystal cells whose director varies in more than one spatial dimension (multidimensional liquid crystal cells). The GOA is applied to calculate light transmittance and far field diffraction patterns for two- and three-dimensional nematic liquid crystal films. Important features of the GOA, such as a method of eliminating non-convergence problems that can occur during the iterative numerical solution of the equations for the amplitudes of the electromagnetic field, are described. We compare the results obtained from the GOA with those produced by the quasi-one-dimensional Jones calculus and the beam propagation method, where the latter is applicable. It was found that the refraction (or ray bending) effects, produced by the GOA, are more important than effects of diffraction and light scattering, which means that the GOA (unlike the Jones calculus) is accurate for the considered type of liquid crystal cells, whose director varies on the micron scale. The GOA is about as fast as the Jones method and is applicable for calculating optical properties of liquid crystal cells with any number of dimensions of director variations.     

Deflected mode simulation of adhesive joints

The basic principles of the application of a statistical modeling technique (the Monte Carlo method) to analyze the value of maximal strain in an adhesive joint performed using adhesives based on epoxy oligomers and amine curing agents are given. Calculation algorithms that allow for multifactor investigations are proposed. The model structure is formed based on an analysis of the cause-and-effect relationships in the technological and operation factors, and input parameters are determined using statistical methods. An example of deflected mode analysis for an adhesive joint is given.     

Interface modification of polymer stabilized cholesteric liquid crystal

Films were made by incorporating various quantities of fluoroalkyl acrylate (FA) into the chain termini of polyurethane acrylate oligomer of polymer stabilized cholesteric liquid crystals (PSCLCs). The effects of switching voltage, scanning electron and polarized optical microscope morphologies, texture transition and reversibility, and contact angle of the films were then studied. It was found that the switching voltage of the film decreased with the addition of FA up to 0.8 wt%, beyond which it increased. The decrease and increase were respectively explained in terms of decreased interface energy as noted from the contact angle of the LC on polymer surface, and too small droplet size as noted from the SEM. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A study on interfacial tension between flexible polymer and liquid crystal

The interfacial property in polymer-liquid crystal systems is quite different from flexible polymer-polymer mixtures due to the anisotropic properties of liquid crystals. The apparent interfacial tension between a liquid crystal and a flexible polymer was measured by deformed droplet retraction method. The deformation and recovery of a single liquid crystal droplet dispersed in a poly(dimethylsiloxane) matrix were realized by a transient shear flow and observed by polarized optical microscope. The apparent interfacial tension of polymer-liquid crystal system was found to be greatly dependent on the temperature, initial droplet deformation and liquid crystal droplet size.     

Investigation of bicyclic thioketones as triggers for liquid crystal optical switches

The axially chiral bicyclic thioketones 11 and 15 were prepared and investigated for suitability as chiroptical triggers in a liquid crystal optical switch. Irradiation of partially resolved 15 with unpolarized light leads to its conversion to the racemic form (photoracemization). However, irradiation of racemic thioketones 11 and 15 with circularly polarized light does not lead to detectable photoresolution. The lack of photoresolution was traced to inefficiency in intramolecular, through-bond triplet energy transfer. These thioketones are not suitable for use as phototriggers.     

光固化阻燃单体、树脂合成及其阻燃机理研究

本文综述了过去十余年间中国科技大学施文芳教授研究组在光固化阻燃技术领域的工作成果，主要包括活性单体、稀释剂、光固化树脂配方等体系，品类有磷酸酯类单体、含磷丙烯酸酯、超支化丙烯酸酯树脂、膦酸酯类单体和树脂、丙烯酸化环状磷腈、甲基丙烯酸化三聚氰胺、含磷环氧单体等十余种。同时介绍了这些配方体系的合成、性能和应用方法，以及对其热降解、阻燃性能评价和阻燃机理的研究。     

In Search of the Driving Factor for the Microwave Curing of Epoxy Adhesives and for the Protection of the Base Substrate against Thermal Damage

This study used controlled microwaves to elucidate the response of adhesive components to microwaves and examined the advantages of microwave radiation in curing epoxy adhesives. Curing of adhesives with microwaves proceeded very rapidly, even though each component of the adhesive was not efficiently heated by the microwaves. The reason the adhesive cured rapidly is that microwave heating was enhanced by the electrically charged (ionic) intermediates produced by the curing reaction. In contrast, the cured adhesive displayed lower microwave absorption and lower heating efficiency, suggesting that the cured adhesive stopped heating even if it continued to be exposed to microwaves. This is a definite advantage in the curing of adhesives with microwaves, as, for example, adhesives dropped onto polystyrene could be cured using microwave heating without degrading the polystyrene base substrate.     

Polymerization of Blending Cholesteryl Acrylate and Methyl Phenyl Benzoyl Acrylate

Liquid crystal is a material which is between solid and liquid phase and commonly called mesophase. Blends of liquid crystal are of great interest because of their unique optical properties. Blending in this study using two monomers of liquid crystal were cholesteryl acrylate and methyl phenyl benzoyl acrylate. The polymerization process using uv curing techniques by irradiation UV ray and without irradiation UV ray. Polymerization of blending liquid crystal acrylate using initiator 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-phenylpropane. Based on peak at GPC curve of polymerization by irradiation UV ray, type of that polymer is copolymer. Therefore the polymerization without UV ray, type of that polymer is homopolymer. SEM images of liquid crystal acrylate polymer showed lamella chain models that are characteristic of a polymer chains. Type of polymer liquid crystal acrylate was the type of Side Chain Liquid Crystalline Polymers (SCLCPs). Therefore acrylate polymer liquid crystal in this research has semi-crystalline phase, which contained crystalline phase and amorphous phase on the XRD pattern. The results of FT-IR spectroscopic characterization of the two monomers showed a peak at the wave number of 1600.43 cm ^-1 and 1622.86 cm^-1 which indicates a double bond (C=C) were obtained from acrylation. While the spectroscopy on the product blending the wave number of the peak regions is reduced that shows that carbon double bonds (C=C) in the acrylate group has polymerized. It also strengthened with a very sharp peak for CC functional groups on the wave number of 2855.15 cm^-1. The results of this study indicate that the liquid crystal polymer acrylic polymerization results with radiation UV ray and without UV ray, respectively absorb light in the UV wavelength region 363 nm and 351 nm.     

Study on polyvinylidene fluoride as alignment layer in twist-nematic liquid crystal display

The material with high dielectric constant can significantly affect the distribution of the electric field, so this kind of material has great potential in liquid crystal display. In this paper, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as alignment layer in liquid crystal display was analysed. The optical property, mechanical property, thermal stability and electrical property of PVDF were measured. Experiments show that the absorbance of PVDF material is 0.2 (or less) in visible light, which is better than the conventional alignment material polyimide (PI). The alignment effect can be generated by mechanical friction and the liquid crystal molecules are ordered or aligned, and PVDF can maintain good thermal stability as temperature is lower than 400°C. Since the dielectric constant of PVDF is usually between 6.0 and 8.0, it has significant effect on the distribution of the electric field in the liquid crystal display, and its dielectric loss is also less than PI. The lower operating voltage and the faster response time are obtained from the experiment. It can be confirmed by the experiments that PVDF could be used in liquid crystal display (LCD) as the alignment layer to improve LCD’s characteristics.