Short wavelength light reflecting films from side-chain liquid crystal homopolymers with Chiral spacers

J. M G Cowie, D. M. Duncan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A series of acrylate monomers with alkoxy tails of varying lengths are synthesised and polymerised. The butoxy analogue had a stable enantiotropic cholesteric liquid crystalline phase which formed a grandjean texture when prepared as a thin film between glass slides. The polymer was mixed with a low molar mass nematic liquid crystal in various proportions and the pitch of the chiral nematic phases were determined using a cano-wedge cell technique. The polymer prepared from (S)-2-(4-butoxyphenyl-4'-benzoyloxy)-1-methyl ethyl acrylate had a pitch length of 113 nm which indicates that the polymer film could be employed in optical devices requiring selective reflection of light with short wavelengths in the region of 170 nm. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)506-514
Number of pages9
JournalPolymers for Advanced Technologies
Volume12
Issue number9
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2001

Keywords

  • Chiral liquid crystal
  • Cholesteric phase
  • Comb branch polymers
  • Selective reflection

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