Abstract
The thermochromic properties of a series of liquid crystalline polymethacrylates, containing azobenzene side-chains with variable spacer lengths, were investigated. Annealing the amorphous polymer thin films above the glass transition temperature results in a rearrangement of the azobenzene moieties, causing a hypsochromic shift in the electronic absorption spectra. A detailed investigation of the spectral shift was performed by in situ UVvis spectroscopy and indicated the formation of H-type aggregates by the side-chain chromophores above the glass transition temperature. The rate at which the hypsochromic shift occurs is faster for polymers with shorter spacers since their high glass transition temperature results in a higher thermal energy during the thermochromic effect. Experimentally determined activation energies show that the aggregation occurs primarily due to side-chain relaxation (β-relaxation) and main-chain relaxation (α-relaxation). Further annealing above the isotropization temperature resulted in the onset of deaggregation and in most cases showed that the chromophores were freed from the ordered state.Key words: liquid-crystalline polymer, thermochromic properties, chain relaxation, aggregation, thin films, azobenzene mesogens.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
