Macromolecules, Vol.32, No.15, 4806-4813, 1999
In situ photopolymerization behavior of chiral liquid-crystalline monomers and image storage using ferroelectric properties
We report in situ photopolymerization behavior of ferroelectric liquid-crystalline (FLC) monomers with the polymerizable group attached to the rigid core through a long methylene spacer (carbon number of 11, MS11) and a short methylene spacer (carbon number of 2, MS2) and image storage using bistable switching of FLC monomers by applying an electric field. The polymerization behavior of MS2 was considerably different from that of MS11. This might be due to a higher concentration of the polymerizable groups in MS2. In addition, the relative conversion (the ratio of conversion under electric field to that without electric field) in the SmC* phase of MS2 was larger than that of MS11. This result suggests that the change in macroscopic structure is more effective in the polymerization of MS2 in which the polymerizable groups are more densely packed. Furthermore, the image storage was performed by in situ photopolymerization with a de electric field.
Keywords:ORIENTED POLYMER NETWORKS;INSITU PHOTOPOLYMERIZATION;PHOTOCHEMICAL CONTROL;MESOGENIC DIACRYLATE;POLARIZATION;ACRYLATES;FIELD