Synthesis and photoinduced alignment of photo-cross-linkable copolymer liquid crystals containg tolane side groups

Abstract

We syntheszed new types of photo-cross-linkable copolymer liquid crystals containing a tolane moiety which exhibits large birefringence. Axis-selective photo-cross linking reaction of the mesogenic group using linearly polarized 365nm light in-plane order parameter generated small optical anisotropy, and subsequent annealing enhanced it. Degree of the maximum was about +0.8, and the maxmum birefringence showed about 0.3.