Examinations of orientation order of liquid crystals and reactive mesogens in structural formation of thermoresponsive PNLCs

Abstract

We examined phase separation morphology and molecular orientation order of polymer network liquid crystals (PNLCs) forming through photopolymerization induced phase separation (PPIPS) in a nonuniform photoirradiation. Liquid crystals (LCs) and reactive mesogens (RMs) formed droplet-shaped domains at the incipient stage of PPIPS and then the domains were transformed to reticular shape with the irradiation duration. The results in temperature dependence of orientation order suggest that LCs become mobile and immobile with the progress of PPIPS.