Synthesis and polarized light‐induced birefringence of new polymethacrylates containing carbazolyl and azobenzene pendant groups

Low T_g copolymers of [11(N‐carbazolyl)undecylmethacrylate] and [2,5‐dimethylphenyl‐[(4‐nitrophenyl)azo]‐phenoxyalkylmethacrylate] have been synthesized and the polarized light‐induced birefringence of thick films (70 μm) has been investigated at a constant deducted temperature relative to T_g (T − T_g = 10 °C). The optical properties of these copolymers have been studied in relation to the azo‐dye content and the length of the alkyl spacer between the azo‐dye and the methacrylic backbone. They have been compared with the dispersion of (4‐methoxy‐2,5‐dimethylphenyl)‐(4‐nitrophenyl)diazene (DMNPAA) within a poly[11(N‐carbazolyl)undecyl‐methacrylate] and a poly[N‐vinylcarbazole] (PVK) matrix. The experimental curves have been fitted by biexponentials, so emphasizing the effects of the copolymer structure on the kinetics of the writing process. The photoinduced orientation is more than three orders of magnitude higher in a grafted material compared to the dispersion version. The azo‐dye concentration also has an important role in both the amplitude and the dynamics of the photo‐orientation. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 205–213, 2000     

Effect of high electric fields on the isotropic phase of a lyotropic liquid‐crystalline system

The effect of high (>1000 V/mm) electric fields on solutions of a lyotropic liquid‐crystalline polymer, poly(n‐hexyl isocyanate) in p‐xylene, is presented. The concentrations are adjusted such that the solutions are strictly within the isotropic phase domain region, thus exhibiting no spontaneous liquid crystallinity. The effects of field strength, frequency, and concentration are varied and the morphological changes are noted. The results are analyzed with birefringence measurements via comparison with the optical Kerr effect. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 4116–4125, 2004     

The influence of hydrogen chloride doping level on the complex refractive indices of anisotropic polyaniline film: Application of a new internal reflection waveguide coupling technique

Nondestructive three‐dimensional refractive‐index measurements are used for the determination of both crystallinity and orientation in thin polymer films. The prism waveguide coupler is particularly suitable for three‐dimensional isotropic and anisotropic thin‐film studies because of the quantitative character of the information obtained and the ease of data acquisition. It has been limited, however, to measuring the refractive index of optically transparent or weakly absorbing films. This study shows that a modified prism waveguide coupler can be used to determine the complex refractive index over a range from transparent to highly absorbing films from the internally reflected light intensity. Thus, both the refractive index, n, and the extinction coefficient, k, can be obtained. This method is used to determine the anisotropic three‐dimensional n and k values of spin‐coated emeraldine base and hydrogen chloride doped emeraldine salt polyaniline films. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 39: 2481–2490, 2001     

Thermally enhanced photoinduced in‐plane reorientation in photo‐cross‐linkable polymer liquid crystalline films and its application to linear polarizer

Thermally enhanced photoinduced in‐plane molecular reorientation in new photo‐cross‐linkable polymer liquid crystalline (PPLC) films comprising 4‐[ω‐(4‐methoxycinnamoyloxy)alkyloxy]biphenyl side groups is explored using linearly polarized ultraviolet (LPUV) light exposure and subsequent annealing. The influence of the alkylene spacer length between the photo‐cross‐linkable group and the biphenyl mesogenic moiety is investigated. The straight‐line characteristics of the photoreactive mesogenic side group and the 4‐methoxycinnamoyl group play important roles in the high photoreactivity and the large thermally enhanced molecular reorientation, where the in‐plane order and the birefringence of the reoriented film are 0.61 and 0.18 are obtained. Finally, cooperative molecular reorientation of dichroic dyes doped in PPLC films is also achieved to fabricate a linear polarizer. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 4712–4718, 2008     

Influence of chromophore concentration and network structure on the photo‐orientation properties of crosslinked epoxy‐based azopolymers

An azo prepolymer (TAZ) was synthesized by reaction between Disperse Orange‐3 (DO3) and diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA). Selected amounts of TAZ were blended with DGEBA and cured with an aliphatic diamine, either meta‐xilylenediamine (MXDA) or polyetheramines (Jeffamine D series). The photoinduced anisotropy and optical storage properties in two series of crosslinked epoxy‐based azo polymers with different architectures and chromophore contents (from 3 to 24 in weight) have been investigated. Measurements of the birefringence (Δn) induced with linearly polarized 488 nm light show that the Δn values increases with DO3 weight fraction. Networks with the same chromophore concentration but different backbones exhibit similar levels of induced anisotropy under the same irradiation conditions. The remaining birefringence and relaxation times are influenced by the molecular weight between crosslinks of networks. Higher is reflected in shorter relaxation times and lower remaining birefringence. In terms of the level of induced dichroism measured on relaxed films, it was found an agreement with the remaining anisotropy. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 47: 1004–1014, 2009     

Syndiotactic polystyrene films with a cocrystalline phase including carvacrol guest molecules

A monoclinic δ‐clathrate form of syndiotactic polystyrene (s‐PS) with carvacrol (a relevant natural phenolic antimicrobial) has been prepared and characterized by X‐ray diffraction. Very informative are Fourier transform infrared spectra, in particular their OH stretching region that shows a narrow peak and a broad band, corresponding to carvacrol molecules being isolated guest of the co‐crystalline phase or dissolved in the amorphous phase, respectively. Analogous spectral features allow discriminating, for many different s‐PS guests, between molecules being in crystalline or in amorphous phases. s‐PS co‐crystalline films with carvacrol molecules being prevailingly (more than 90%) guest of the co‐crystalline phase have been prepared, even for high carvacrol content (up to 10–11 wt %). The location of most antimicrobial molecules in the crystalline phase assures a decrease of desorption diffusivity of two to three orders and hence long‐term antimicrobial release. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. Part B: Polym. Phys. 2014 , 52, 657–665     

Sorption and transport of linear alkane hydrocarbons in biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate

Equilibrium sorption and uptake kinetics of n‐butane and n‐pentane in uniform, biaxially oriented, semicrystalline polyethylene terephthalate films were examined at 35 °C and for pressures ranging from 0 to approximately 76 cmHg. Sorption isotherms were well described by the dual‐mode sorption model. Sorption kinetics were described either by Fickian diffusion or a two‐stage model incorporating Fickian diffusion at short times and protracted polymer structural relaxation at long times. Diffusion coefficients increased with increasing penetrant concentration. n‐Butane solubility was lower than that of n‐pentane, consistent with the more condensable nature of n‐pentane. However, n‐butane diffusion coefficients were higher than those of n‐pentane. Infinite‐dilution, estimated amorphous phase diffusion and solubility coefficients were well correlated with penetrant critical volume and critical temperature, respectively. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 39: 1160–1172, 2001     

Molecular orientation of aromatic polycarbonates containing fluorene side chains by polarized infrared spectroscopy and birefringence analysis

The molecular orientation of an aromatic polycarbonate containing fluorene side chains was investigated by polarized infrared spectroscopy and birefringence analyses. The copolymers were synthesized from 2,2‐bis(4‐hydroxyphenyl)propane (BPA), 9,9‐bis(4‐hydroxy‐3‐methylpheny)fluorene (BMPF), and phosgene by interfacial polycondensation. The 1449‐cm^?1 band of the uniaxially oriented films, stretched at the glass‐transition temperature (T_g) plus 5 °C, was assigned to various combinations of CC stretching and CH in‐plane bending vibrations in the fluorene ring, and the transition moment angle was estimated to be 90°. The intrinsic birefringence of aromatic polycarbonate films with BMPF molar ratios ranging from 0.5 to 1 was obtained with the 1449‐cm^?1 band. The copolymer was estimated to show zero intrinsic birefringence at the BMPF molar ratio of 0.75, and the BMPF homopolymer showed negative intrinsic birefringence. A linear relationship between the volume fraction of BMPF units and the intrinsic birefringence indicated that the two monomer units of BPA and BMPF in each copolymer were not independent, and an intrinsic birefringence could be defined even in the copolymer. The sign of the photoelastic coefficient in the homopolymer with BMPF units was positive. The different signs of the photoelastic coefficient and the intrinsic birefringence suggest that the fluorene side‐chain orientation induced by stress in the glass state is quite different from the orientation of the uniaxially oriented films stretched at T_g + 5 °C. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 1554–1562, 2003     

Fluorene‐based liquid crystalline networks with linearly polarized blue emission

A series of fluorene‐based luminophores containing methacrylic end groups have been prepared and incorporated into uniaxially oriented liquid crystalline films by in situ photopolymerization. Various structural modifications on the 2‐(4‐cyanophenyl)fluorene core, which include alkyl chains at the 9‐position and elongation of the rigid core with one additional phenyl ring, have been investigated to generate emitters with adjusted liquid crystal compatibility, improved luminescence and dichroic properties. Polarized blue‐emitting films were produced that had an acceptable photostability, and it was found that the polarization emission was better for samples with low (5%) cross‐linker contents. Polarization of the luminescence was favored by the liquid crystalline properties of the luminophore. In addition, the detrimental effect of the alkyl substituent at the fluorene core on the mesomorphism and on the emission polarization can be overcome by lengthening the π‐system. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 4804–4817, 2007     

Synthesis of tetrazole‐containing azo polymers with properties of photo‐induced birefringence and surface‐relief‐gratings via RAFT polymerization

A novel optically active monomer, 6‐{4‐[4‐(1‐phenyl‐1H‐tetrazol‐5‐yloxy)‐phenylazo] ‐phenoxy}‐hexyl methacrylate (PTPPHMA) bearing tetrazole and azobenzol moieties, was synthesized and polymerized by reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization using 2‐cyanoprop‐2‐yl dithiobenzoate (CPDB) as the RAFT agent and 2, 2′‐azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN) as the initiator. Well‐defined optically active photochromic polyPTPPHMA(PPTPPHMA) was obtained. “Living”/controlled characteristics were observed in the polymerization: well‐controlled molecular weights (M_ns), narrow molecular weight distributions (M_w/M_n) of the polymers and successful chain‐extension of PPTPPHMA with styrene (St) as the second monomer. The photochemical interconversion between trans and cis isomers of PPTPPHMA in N,N′‐dimethyl formamide (DMF) solution was explored under irradiation of ultraviolet light. The photoinduced birefringence on the thin films of PPTPPHMA was investigated. A maximum birefringence of 0.1 was obtained, and no significant change of profiles of the birefringence after several cycles of writing/erasing/rewriting sequences was observed. The surface‐relief‐gratings (SRGs) were induced on the polymer films by interference of Kr⁺ laser beams at 413.1 nm with 35 mW/cm² intensity, the diffraction efficiencies from SRGs were measured to be in the range of 2.0–2.5%. The atomic force microscopy (AFM) results showed the gratings produced on the surfaces of the polymer film. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 682–691, 2008     

Synthesis of a novel hybrid liquid‐crystalline rod–coil diblock copolymer

A series of novel rod–coil diblock copolymers on the basis of mesogen‐jacketed liquid‐crystalline polymer were successfully prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization from the flexible polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) macroinitiator. The hybrid diblock copolymers, poly{2,5‐bis[(4‐methoxyphenyl)oxycarbonyl]styrene}‐block‐polydimethylsiloxane, had number‐average molecular weights (M_n's) ranging from 9500 to 30,900 and relatively narrow polydispersities (≤1.34). The polymerization proceeded with first‐order kinetics. Data from differential scanning calorimetry validated the microphase separation of the diblock copolymers. All block copolymers exhibited thermotropic liquid‐crystalline behavior except for the one with M_n being 9500. Four liquid‐crystalline diblock copolymers with PDMS weight fractions of more than 18% had two distinctive glass‐transition temperatures. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 1799–1806, 2003     

Triplet‐sensitized irradiation of a main‐chain liquid crystalline poly(aryl cinnamate) in three different phases

Visible light irradiation of thin films of a main‐chain liquid crystalline poly(aryl cinnamate) using ketocoumarins as triplet sensitizers leads to photochemical crosslinking and UV‐vis and FTIR spectroscopic changes associated with saturation of the cinnamate double bond, most likely by 2 + 2 photocycloaddition. The triplet sensitizers are themselves photolabile and are lost by photochemical reactions during the sensitization process. A new ketocoumarin sensitizer with decyloxy substituents and a reduced tendency to phase separate from the polymer is reported. A simple calculation of the sensitization stoichiometry shows that a single molecule of this ketocoumarin sensitizes the destruction of approximately 90 cinnamate chromophores in the “as cast” films below T_g and about 300 chromophores in the more‐ordered glassy nematic films and in “as cast” films of poly(vinyl cinnamate). Triplet sensitization of fluid nematic films leads, upon initial irradiation, to UV‐vis hyperchromism that is attributed to disruption of chromophore aggregation and, possibly, to disruption of the nematic mesophase as photoproducts begin to form. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 134–144, 2001     

Silicon‐containing azo polymers with paired mesogens and their applications to optical memory media

We synthesized a novel photoresponsive monomer, silicon‐containing azo monomer with paired mesogens in the side chain, by reacting 3‐methacryloxypropylmethyldichlorosilane with 2‐[2‐(4‐cyano‐azobenzene‐4′‐oxy)ethylene‐oxy]ethyl alcohol, a mesogenic group. Corresponding homopolymer and copolymers with methyl methacrylate were generated via radical polymerization with AIBN as a radical initiator. Investigations of their thermal properties and optical textures confirmed the monomer and the homopolymer have smectic structures. Homo‐ and copolymer films showed high potential as reversible data recording media via photoinduced alignment of azobenzene groups with irradiation of a linearly or circularly polarized light. Out of all the samples, the copolymer films with high azo dye contents showed the best resolution in the recorded data as well as the fastest response to a pump beam due to large optical birefringence induced in a write‐in process. Strong dependence of the stability of the data stored in the films on the glass transition temperature of the polymers was also observed. In addition, high‐quality holographic grating patterns were inscribed even on the copolymer film with azo molar content of only 7.0% using a modified two‐wave mixing technique. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 6734–6745, 2008     

Synthesis,characterization and properties of N‐maleimide side‐chain liquid crystalline copolymers

A homologous series of side‐chain liquid crystalline (SCLC) poly{[N‐[10‐((4‐(((4′‐n‐hexyloxy)benzoyl)oxy)phenoxy)carbonyl)‐n‐decyl]maleimide]‐co‐[N‐(n‐octadecyl)maleimide]} [(ME6)‐co‐(MI‐18)] random copolymers with various MI‐18 contents have been synthesized and their properties studied. The high content in threo‐disyndiotactic sequences of the maleimide main chain seems responsible for the stability of the highly ordered smectic mesophase. The relationship between structure and composition on thermotropic mesophase was investigated by polarizing optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and X‐ray diffraction. For copolymers with mesogenic unit contents less than ～0.655 molar fraction the transition from (S_A) texture to isotropic (I) is maintained, as shown by the T_Cl, ΔH_Cl and ΔS_Cl amounts and intermolecular spacing 4.42–4.53 Å and intralayer correlation lengths of 44.2–45.2 Å. The layer thickness does not appreciably depend on copolymer composition. However, copolymers with non‐mesogenic comonomer MI‐18 molar contents larger than >0.655 molar fraction X(M), are no longer liquid crystalline materials, despite its packing is preserved without any detectable appearance of birefringence. Thermodynamic boundaries of the liquid crystalline state have been established through a phase diagram. The properties of this n‐hexyloxy pendant group‐based series are compared to those of the analogous materials containing methoxy pendant groups (ME1), and differences are accounted for in terms of the local side‐chain packing within the mesophase. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Temperature dependence of the phase separation in ethyl cyanoethyl cellulose/poly(acrylic acid)/4′‐n‐pentyl‐4‐cyano‐biphenyl composite films

A novel polymer‐dispersed liquid‐crystal film consisting of micrometer‐scale liquid‐crystal droplets in ultraviolet‐cured polymer composite matrices with cholesteric order was prepared and the influence of cure temperature on the phase separation was studied. The existence and pitch of the ethyl cyanoethyl cellulose cholesteric liquid‐crystalline phase were influenced by the existence of low molecular weight liquid crystals. The macromolecular cholesteric phase disappeared when the 4′‐n‐pentyl‐4‐cyano‐biphenyl concentration was over 40 wt %, and 4′‐n‐pentyl‐4‐cyano‐biphenyl domains were dispersed in the isotropic matrix of the polymer composite. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 40: 1334–1341, 2002     

Enhanced electrical properties of highly oriented poly(vinylidene fluoride) films prepared by solid‐state coextrusion

Oriented poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) films with β‐form crystals have been commonly prepared by cold drawing of a melt‐quenched film consisting of α‐form crystals. In this study, we have successfully produced highly oriented PVDF thin films (20 µm thick) with β‐crystals and a high crystallinity (55–76%), by solid‐state coextrusion of a gel film to eight times the original length at an established optimum extrusion temperature of 160°C, some 10°C below the melting temperature. The resultant drawn films had a highly oriented (orientation function f_c = 0.993) fibrous structure, showing high mechanical properties of an extensional elastic modulus of 8.3 GPa and tensile strength of 0.84 GPa, along the draw direction. Such highly oriented and crystalline films exhibited excellent ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties. The square hysteresis loop was significantly sharper than that of a conventional sample. The sharp switching transient yielded the remnant polarization P_r of 90 mC/m², and the electromechanical coupling factor k_t was 0.24 at room temperature. These values are about 1.5 times greater than those of a conventional β‐PVDF film. Thus, solid‐state coextrusion near the melting point was found to be a useful technique for the preparation of highly oriented and highly crystalline β‐PVDF films with superior mechanical and electrical properties. The morphology of the extrudate relevant to such properties is discussed. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 2549–2556, 1999     

Synthesis of novel three‐arm star azo side‐chain liquid crystalline polymer via ATRP and photoinduced surface relief gratings

A three‐arm star azo side‐chain liquid crystalline (LC) homopolymer, poly[6‐(4‐methoxy‐4‐oxy‐azobenzene) hexyl methacrylate] (PMMAZO), was synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) method. The polymerization of 6‐(4‐methoxy‐4‐oxy‐azobenzene) hexyl methacrylate proceeded in a controlled/“living” way. A series of three‐arm star LC block copolymers (PMMAZO‐b‐PMMA) were also synthesized. The polymers were characterized by ¹H NMR, gel permeation chromatograph, and UV–vis spectra, respectively. The both polymers of PMMAZO and copolymers of PMMAZO‐b‐PMMA exhibited a smetic phase and a nematic phase. As concern to the PMMAZO, the glass‐transition temperature (T_g) and phase‐transition temperature from the smetic to nematic phase and from the nematic to isotropic phase increased with the increase of molecular weight (M_n(GPC)) of PMMAZO. The phase transition temperature of the block copolymers, PMMAZO‐b‐PMMA, with the same PMMA block was similar to that of PMMAZO. However, the T_g of the PMMAZO‐b‐PMMA decreased at low azo content and then increased with the increasing M_n(GPC) when azo content was above 61.3%. With illumination of linearly polarized Kr⁺ laser beam at modest intensities (35 mW/cm²), significant surface relief gratings formed on PMMAZO films with different molecular weights were observed. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 777–789, 2008     

High‐molecular‐weight side‐chain liquid‐crystalline polyethers based on 4′‐cyanobiphenyl‐4‐oxy mesogenic groups

A set of poly[ω‐(4′‐cyano‐4‐biphenyloxy)alkyl‐1‐glycidylether]s were synthesized by the chemical modification of the corresponding poly(ω‐bromoalkyl‐1‐glycidylether)s with the sodium salt of 4‐cyano‐4′‐hydroxybiphenyl. New high‐molecular‐weight side‐chain liquid‐crystalline polymers were obtained with excellent yield and almost quantitative degree of modification. All side‐chain liquid‐crystalline polymers were rubbers soluble in tetrahydrofuran. The characterization by ¹H and ¹³C NMR revealed no changes in the regioregular isotactic microstructure of the starting polymer and the absence of undesirable side reactions such as deshydrobromination. The liquid crystalline behavior was analyzed by DSC and polarized optical microscopy, and mesophase assignments were confirmed by X‐ray diffraction. Polymers that had alkyl spacers with n = 2 and 4 were nematic, those that had spacers with n = 6 and 8 were nematic cybotactic, and those that had longer spacers (n = 10 and 12) were smectic C and showed some crystallization of the side alkyl chains. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 3002–3012, 2004     

Effect of crosslinking on the photoinduced orientation of azo groups in thin polymer films

A series of amorphous copolymers containing disperse red 1 and crosslinkable acrylic groups were prepared. The crosslinked polymers were prepared in thin films by thermal polymerization of the acrylic groups in the copolymers. The orientation induced by irradiation with a linearly polarized laser was measured as birefringence at several temperatures, and the effect of crosslinking on the photoinduced orientation was investigated. Crosslinking enhanced the stability of the photoinduced birefringence. In particular, crosslinking helped to maintain the birefringence both at high temperatures and after the linearly polarized laser was turned off. The birefringence dynamics was analyzed with biexponential curve fitting. Crosslinking influenced not only the birefringence levels but also its rate of growth. The growth rate of the photoinduced birefringence decreased by crosslinking, whereas the relaxation was not significantly affected. Although crosslinking restrained the mobility of the azo chromophores, a certain fraction could orient or move randomly even in highly crosslinked polymer networks. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 39: 1686–1696, 2001     

Preparation of side‐on bisazobenzene‐containing homopolymers and block copolymers via ATRP and studies on their photoisomerization and photoalignment behaviors

The preparation of a series of novel homopolymers and copolymers containing bisazobenzene chromophores with side‐on structure in the side chains via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) were presented. UV–vis spectra of the thin films of these polymers under irradiation of 488 nm Ar⁺ laser suggested that the photoisomerization of the bisazobenzene chromophores happened mainly on one of the two azo groups in the bisazobenzene chromophores with similar probability due to their side‐on structure. Good photoalignment behaviors of these polymers were proved by photoinduced birefringence measurements because side‐on structure permitted the two azo groups in the bisazobenzene chromophores both participated in the trans–cis–trans photoisomerization cycles equally to induce the whole chromophore reorientation. Furthermore, the reorientation axis located at the middle of chromophore decreased the sweep volume during photoalignment. The impetus for this study was to evaluate the photoisomerization and photoalignment process of side‐on bisazobenzene‐containing polymers and to find possible applications in the photosensitive devices. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 3460–3472, 2007