Photoorientation of liquid crystalline copolymers which contain photo-cross-linkable group and hydrogen bonding group

Abstract

We synthesized new type of hydrogen bonding liquid crystalline copolymers comprising photo-cross-linkable group. The copolymers showed the liquid crystalline phase by forming dimer with hydrogen bonding of carboxyl group. Axis-selective photo-cross-linking reaction of the cinnamoyl group using linearly polarized ultraviolet (LPUV) light generated small optical anisotropy, and subsequent annealing enhanced it. The enhanced in-plane order parameter is -0.7.