Comparative study of holographic recording in cholesteric and nematic azo-containing side-chain polymers

For the first time a comparative study of holographic recording in planarly oriented films of nematic and cholesteric azobenzene-containing polymers was performed. The influence of temperature and light intensity on the values of diffraction efficiencies of holographic gratings was investigated. The kinetics of grating relaxation at different temperatures was studied. It was shown that the helical supramolecular structure of cholesteric copolymer causes a significant decrease of the diffraction efficiency in comparison with the one observed for the nematic state of the homopolymer.     

Pressure effects in a plastic columnar discotic triphenylene

The effect of hydrostatic pressure on the structure of a plastic columnar discotic triphenylene has been investigated. The goal was to determine whether pressure can be used to modify electronic properties via changes in structural properties of columnar discotics to any significant extent. The findings are that (i) the intra- and inter-columnar distances are reduced in a nearly isotropic fashion, (ii) that the crystal sizes are reduced and (iii) that a transition takes place from a more highly ordered plastic columnar to a less ordered hexagonal columnar state with increasing pressure. The induced decrease of the molecular distances, amounting to 6% for pressures up to 17 kbar, are clearly too small to induce an appreciable modification of the electronic structure and thus opto-electronic properties.     

Molecular addressing? Studies on light-induced reorientation in liquid-crystalline side chain polymers

Polarized light leads to an effective reorientation of the optic axis in the glassy state of liquid-crystalline side chain polymers containing azobenzene mesogenic groups, via a trans-cis and cis-trans isomerization. Using a combination of U V and IR dichroitic studies it is shown for copolymers consisting of chromophores (azobenzene) and non-chromophores (phenylbenzoate) that only the chromophores are reoriented by light as far as the glassy state is concerned. Individual chromophores are thus addressed by photoselection. Photoselection in the fluid nematic state, on the other hand, leads also to a reorientation of the non-chromophores.     

Octahedral metallo-mesogens of chromium, molybdenum and tungsten with 1,4,7-trisubstituted 1,4,7-triazacyclononane and three carbonyl groups as ligands

Liquid crystalline complexes with chromium, molybdenum and with tungsten as metallic centres are reported. 1,4,7-Trisubstituted 1,4,7-triazacyclononane and three carbonyl groups are coordinated in an octahedral geometry. The observed mesophases are characterized as disordered rectangular columnar of a pyramidic type.     

Thermal density fluctuations in amorphous polymers as revealed by small angle X-ray diffraction

Summary Thermal density fluctuations in amorphous polymethyl methacrylate, polycarbonate and polyethylene terephthalate were studied by means of small angle X-ray scattering. The measurements were performed in a temperature range from 20 °C up to about 50 °C above the glass transition temperatureT _g of the individual sample.AboveT _g the experimental values of the fluctuations are proportional to the isothermal compressibility and the temperature of the sample as predicted by the fluctuation theory for a system in thermodynamic equilibrium.At temperatures belowT _g this relation is no longer correct. The experimentally determined fluctuations are now proportional to the compressibility of the sample in the equilibrium state atT _g and to the actual temperature of the glassy sample. By considering a statistical ensemble with exchange of energy, particles and order between the systems of the ensemble an equation can be derived for the fluctuations of the number of particles per given volume which predicts the observed behaviour. The order parameter takes into account the fact that the properties of the glassy state depend on the way by which the state was produced.

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Zusammenfassung Es wurden thermische Dichtefluktuationen in amorphem Polymethylmethacrylat, Polycarbonat und Polyäthylenterephthalat mit Hilfe der Röntgenkleinwinkelstreuung untersucht. Die Messungen erstrecken sich über einen Temperaturbereich von 20 °C bis zu etwa 50 °C oberhalb der GlastemperaturT _g der jeweiligen Probe.In Übereinstimmung mit den Ergebnissen der Fluktuationstheorie sind die Fluktuationen oberhalb vonT _g proportional zur isothermen Kompressibilität und zur Temperatur der Probe.Unterhalb der Glastemperatur ist diese Beziehung nicht mehr erfüllt. Hier ist die Fluktuation proportional zur Kompressibilität der Probe im Gleichgewichtszustand beiT _g und zur Temperatur. Auf der Basis einer statistischen Gesamtheit mit der Austauschmöglichkeit von Energie, Partikel und Ordnung zwischen den Systemen der Gesamtheit kann eine Beziehung für die Dichtefluktuation abgeleitet werden, die mit den experimentellen Ergebnissen übereinstimmt. Der zusätzliche Ordnungsparameter berücksichtigt die Tatsache, daß die Eigenschaften im Glaszustand wegabhängig sind.