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Chirooptical and photooptical properties of a novel side-chain azobenzene-containing LC polymer

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Abstract

A novel chiral–photochromic side-chain polyacrylate with azobenzene fragments in the side groups has been synthesised. It was shown that the polymer forms a smectic phase and a cholesteric supramolecular helical structure with selective light reflection in IR spectral range. Thin spin-coated films of the polymer were prepared and their photooptical and chirooptical properties were studied in detail. It was found that UV irradiation of the films led to E–Z isomerization of the azobenzene moieties with high conversion, which is dependent on thermal prehistory of the films. Subsequent action of visible light results in partial recovery of the E-isomer content, whereas annealing leads to the full back conversion. Circular dichroism (CD) measurements revealed formation of the helical supramolecular structure even in the initial spin-coated polymer films. The E–Z isomerization induces complete disruption of helical order in non-annealed films of the polymer, whereas in the smectic phase of the annealed film only a significant decrease in CD values was found. In addition, the photoorientation phenomena induced by polarized light were studied. It was shown that polarized light induces linear dichroism in the films provided by azobenzene group orientation and the dichroism is stable at room temperature for a prolonged time. These combined chirooptical and photooptical features of this novel polymer enable one to consider this multifunctional compound as a promising material for photonics and for optical applications.

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Notes

  1. In the subsequent text this chiral azobenzene-containing polymer PA10AZOF* will be simply represented by “polymer”.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Russian Foundation of Fundamental Research (08-03-00481), Program COST-D35, WG 13-05, and project No. OC 175 of the Ministry of Education Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Chemistry, Moscow State University, Leninskie gory, 119992, Moscow, Russia

    Alexey Bobrovsky & Valery Shibaev

  2. Institute of Physics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, 182 21, Prague 8, Czech Republic

    Vera Hamplova, Miroslav Kaspar & Milada Glogarova

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  1. Alexey Bobrovsky
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  2. Valery Shibaev
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  3. Vera Hamplova
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  4. Miroslav Kaspar
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  5. Milada Glogarova
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Correspondence to Alexey Bobrovsky.

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Bobrovsky, A., Shibaev, V., Hamplova, V. et al. Chirooptical and photooptical properties of a novel side-chain azobenzene-containing LC polymer. Monatsh Chem 140, 789–799 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00706-009-0108-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00706-009-0108-8

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