IN-SITU PHOTOPOLYMERIZATION OF A CHIRAL LIQUID CRYSTAL ACRYLATE

The effect of the smectic and isotropic phase on the photopolymerization of the chiral liquid crystal acrylate 4--acryloyloxyundecanloxy-4'-[thylbutyloxyl-biphenyl (monomer(I)) was studied using -FT--IR. In the meantime,the effect of temperature on the birefringence of surface-oriented monomer(I) andits polymer obtained by in-situ photopolymerization was investigated, too. The results show that the photopolymerization in the isotropic phase is conducted at ahigher rate than in the smectic phase when monomer conversion is less than 60%,however, the polymerization rate is independent of the initial phase state of themonomer when conversion is above 60gb,and the highly oriented liquid-crystallinepolyacrylate film can be prepared by in-situ photopolymerization of the surface-oriented chiral acrylate(I).