Photopatternable fluorescent polymer composites based on stretched porous polyethylene and photopolymerizable liquid crystal mixture

Abstract

A novel approach for the creation of photopatternable fluorescent polyethylene-based liquid crystal composites was developed. Stretched porous polyethylene (SPPE) films were used as the polymer matrices. A liquid crystalline (LC) photopolymerizable mixture containing nematogenic dimethacrylate, cholesterol-containing acrylate and perylene-containing methacrylate was introduced into the pores of SPPE and optical and photo-optical properties of such composite were studied. Polarized spectral data and dichroism calculations showed that the transition moment of perylene side groups and the liquid crystal director in composite films are oriented along a stretching direction of SPPE. UV irradiation induces photopolymerization of the LC mixture but does not lead to significant decrease in dichroism of the perylene groups, however it stabilizes the LC structure in composite films. A possibility of photopatterning of SPPE-based composite filled with LC photopolymerizable mixture was demonstrated. The novel composites can be considered as promising materials for photonic and optical applications.