SALS,WAXS and mechanical properties of heat‐treated thermotropic polymers

The influence of heat treatment on the texture, microstructure and tensile mechanical properties of extruded thin films of a series of high‐performance thermotropic liquid crystal polymers (LCPs) was investigated. LCPs based on random units of hydroxybenzoic acid (B), hydroxynaphthoic acid (N), terephthalic acid (TA) and biphenol (BP) were kindly supplied by the former Hoechst Celanese Corp as 50 µm thick extruded tapes. The LCPs, denoted B‐N, COTBP and RD1000, have B and N as common comonomers and vary the other comonomers. Thus, this study also enables the investigation of the influence of monomer composition on microstructure and mechanical properties. Heat treatments were carried out at temperatures close to the solid‐to‐nematic transition (T_s→n) for periods up to 5 h, under dry air conditions. The thermal treatment produced either two endotherms or a small increase of T_s→n (B‐N and RD1000), or increased significantly T_s→n (COTBP). Moreover, when heat treatment was carried out approximately 40°C below the respective T_s→n, the mechanical Young's modulus, E, along the extrusion axis, increased for all LCPs. Strikingly, for COTBP, E increased over 100% relative to the as‐extruded film. The results also showed that the optimum treatment time for improving the Young modulus, under dry air atmosphere, was between 3 and 4 h. Wide‐angle X‐ray scattering showed a significant sharpening of crystalline reflections and concentration of the 002 meridional reflection as a result of thermal treatment, suggesting the elimination of defects and a better alignment of the molecular chains along the extrusion axis. This would explain the increase in tensile modulus. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and characterization of side chain cholesteric liquid crystalline elastomers derived from chiral bisolefinic crosslinking units

In this work we prepared a nematic monomer (4′‐allyloxybiphenyl 4′‐ethoxybenzoate, M₁ ), a chiral crosslinking agent (isosorbide 4‐allyloxybenzoyl bisate, M₂ ) and a series of new side chain cholesteric liquid crystalline elastomers derived from M₁ and M₂ . The chemical structures of the monomers and polymers were confirmed by FTIR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The mesomorphic properties were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, polarizing optical microscopy and X‐ray diffraction. The effect of the content of the crosslinking unit on phase behaviour of the elastomers is discussed. Polymer P₁ showed a nematic phase, P₂ –P₇ showed a cholesteric phase; P₆ formed a blue Grandjean texture over a broad temperature range 145–209.6°C, with no changed on the cooling. Polymers P₄ –P₇ , with more than 6?mol?% of chiral crosslinking agent, gave rise to selective reflection. Elastomers containing less than 15?mol?% of the crosslinking units displayed elasticity, reversible phase transition with wide mesophase temperature ranges, and high thermal stability. Experimental results demonstrated that, with increasing content of crosslinking agent, the glass transition temperatures first fell and then increased; the isotropization temperatures and mesophase temperature ranges decreased.     

Optical Mechanotransduction with Carbazole‐Based Luminescent Liquid Single‐Crystal Elastomers

Carbazole‐based liquid single‐crystal elastomers (LSCEs) are valuable fluorescent flexible materials to perform optical mechanotransduction under ambient conditions. Indeed, the covalent incorporation of carbazole derivatives into nematic LSCEs allows to tune their luminescence on demand under mechanical control in a quick and reversible fashion. Specifically, the fluorescence intensity for these materials can be switched back and forth in less than a second. Moreover, such a process can be performed several times without detecting any sign of fatigue in the system. In addition, these materials show excellent resistance to aging; 2 years after their preparation they exhibit the very same mechanofluorescent behavior as when freshly prepared. In fact, the here reported fluorescent systems are highly sensitive; the application of a force of 70 mN decreases the fluorescence in the elastomeric material by 7%. Thus, mechanical forces are attractive external stimuli to modulate the fluorescence of nematic elastomers rapidly and reversibly enabling thereby mechanotransduction.

     

Recent advances in polymer network liquid crystal spatial light modulators

Polymer network liquid crystal (PNLC) spatial light modulators are attractive for display and photonic applications because they can achieve submillisecond response time while keeping a large phase change. However, their on-state scattering caused by the grain boundary of LC multidomains hinders their applications. In this article, we review recent progress on the development of scattering-free PNLCs extending from short-wavelength infrared to visible region by reducing the domain sizes to ∼200 nm through low temperature curing process. To reduce operation voltage, both transmissive and reflective modes, LC material properties (birefringence and dielectric anisotropy), polymer composition and concentration, and pretilt angle effect are analyzed. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2014 , 52, 183–192     

无胶单面挠性覆铜板与不流动粘结片结合力的考察

文章对刚挠结合印制板用无胶单面挠性覆铜板与不流动粘结片的结合力进行了考察,结果表明增加PI表面粗糙度和减小PI表面接触角可以提高结合力,但一般不大于0．6N／mm;对PI表面进行等离子处理可以将结合力提高到客户要求的大于0．8N／mm;而提高无胶单面挠性覆铜板与不流动粘结片结合力的最有效的方法是使用高锰酸钾溶液对PI进行表面处理,在合适的条件下,结合力可达到1．15N／mm。     

挠性覆铜板技术发展

文章概述近年来挠性覆铜板的迅速发展,不仅是数量上的增加,在品质方面也有很大变化。在综合评估各种工艺路线的基础上,提出我国挠性覆铜板今后技术发展的基本方向。     

基于形状插值的B超图像三维表面重建

B超图像由于受其成像机理的限制,其成像质量较差,无法采用与CT(计算机断层扫描)、MRI(磁共振成像)类似的三维重建方法。针对B超图像的缺点,采用基于形状的插值方法将其转换为等分辨率体数据。此外,对插值算法进行了适当改进,使重建的速度和效果得到明显改善。最后,分别采用移动立方体(marching cubes)算法、连接轮廓线、光线投射(ray casting)算法对B超图像进行三维重建。结果表明,移动立方体算法在重建的真实性和快速性方面都得到了更满意的效果。     

Crown‐ether and azobenzene‐containing liquid crystalline polymers: An influence of macromolecular architecture on optical properties and photo‐orientation processes

A series of novel crown ether‐containing photochromic comb‐shaped liquid crystalline polyacrylates with different macromolecular structure of side groups were synthesized and investigated. Phase behavior, optical and photo‐optical properties of thin spin‐coated films of these polymers were studied. A special attention was paid to a comparative study of the photo‐orientation phenomena occurring in the polymer films under a polarized light action. It was shown that complex formation with the potassium ions results in the decrease in degree of the photoinduced order that can be used for the creation of new materials for sensor devices. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Kinetically controlled phase transitions in liquid‐crystalline polymers. III. Influence of the molecular weight and annealing temperature on two‐dimensional K phase formation in a side‐chain polyacrylate

Narrow fractions of a side‐chain acrylate oligomer/polymer with phenyl benzoate side chains are separated in a broad range of the degree of polymerization (7 ≤ P_w ≤ 149). An examination of the phase behavior of the obtained fractions has shown that only the longer macromolecules can form the two‐dimensional K (TDK) mesophase, whereas oligomers of a shorter main chain form the conventional nematic phase only. A critical P_w value has been observed to be necessary for the TDK mesophase formation. The temperatures and enthalpies of liquid‐crystalline phase transitions have been studied as a function of the molar mass, and the phase‐growth kinetics for the TDK phase have been studied with an Avrami treatment. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 2352–2360, 2005     

Structure–property studies and orientation effects of polythiophenes containing mesogenic side chains

Liquid crystalline materials display unique properties, which can be exploited in organic light emitting diodes. Polythiophene model compounds containing phenyl groups linked with azomethine, ester, and alkoxy groups [thiophene‐3‐alkyloxy benzoyloxy aniline series (N series) and thiophene‐3‐alkoxy phenoxy amino benzoate series (R Series)] were synthesized. Molecular orbital calculations were performed and the predicted band gaps compared to understand the effects of spacer length and linkage. The experimental photoabsorption characteristics are compared with the theoretically predicted band gap. Photoabsorption and emission studies on N series and R series polymers as the function of polarizer angle suggest that polymers of both series emit polarized light in all base color ranges. The electroemission characteristics of the above‐synthesized polymers were also recorded as the function of polarizer angle. The results show that the compounds also emit polarized electroemission, and the EL polarization ratio decreases with the increase of alkoxy chain length for N and R polymers. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 46: 1463–1477, 2008