Photoactive Poly(aryl ether)s Containing Azobenzene Moieties on Pendants for Fabrication of Thermal Stable Surface Relief Gratings

A series of azobenzene functionalized poly(aryl ether) copolymers(azo-PAEs) containing azo moieties on pendants was prepared by direct copolymerization. The amount of azobenzene chromophores could be controlled by the feed ratio of azo-monomer. Their chemical structures and properties were characterized by means of infrared(IR) spectrometry, UV-Vis, hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance(¹H NMR), difference scanning calorimetry(DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis(TGA). The results suggest that azo-PAEs had high glass transition temperatures(T_gs) and good thermal stability. By exposing their spin-coated films to an interference pattern laser beam, azo-PAEs could be used for the fabrication of thermal stable surface relief gratings(SRGs).