1. Faculty of Chemistry, Moscow State University, Leninskie gory, Moscow, 119992 Russia;2. Institute of Physics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, 182 21 Prague 8, Czech Republic;3. Laboratory of Dielectrics and Magnetics, Chemistry Department, Warsaw University, Al. Zwirki i Wigury 101, 02‐089 Warsaw, Poland
Abstract:
Three novel photochromic azobenzene‐containing comb‐shaped polyacrylates are synthesized and their phase behavior and photo‐optical properties are studied. The influence of the side photochromic group structure, thermal treatment, and light irradiation on aggregation of azobenzene chromophores in thin spin‐coated films of the polymers is investigated in detail. Special attention is paid to studying the photo‐orientation processes in polymers films induced by polarized blue light (473 nm). The relationship between the photochromic group architecture, phase behavior, thermal treatment of films, and kinetics of chromophore photo‐orientation is established and discussed. It is found that the position of the N?N bond in chromophores plays an important role in the kinetics of the process, but does not affect the maximum value of dichroism.
