Improved Thermal Stability of Pyroelectric Polymers by Crosslinking of Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals

• Published in: The journal of physical chemistry. B Vol. 105; no. 42; pp. 10223 - 10227
• Main Authors: Örtegren, Jonas, Andersson, Gunnar, Busson, Philippe, Hult, Anders, Gedde, Ulf W, Eriksson, Anders, Lindgren, Mikael
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Chemical Society 25.10.2001
• Subjects: NATURAL SCIENCES; NATURVETENSKAP
• ISSN: 1520-6106; 1520-5207; 1520-5207
• DOI: 10.1021/jp0108972

Monofunctional ferroelectric liquid crystalline monomers and a blend of monofunctional/bifunctional ferroelectric liquid crystalline monomers were photopolymerized, yielding a side-chain liquid crystalline polymer and a cross-linked polymer, respectively. The cross-linked polymer exhibited higher thermal stability than the side-chain liquid crystalline polymer and was pyroelectric up to 170 °C, whereas the side-chain liquid crystalline polymer lost most of its pyroelectricity at 38 °C. It is shown by electrooptic and birefringence measurements that cross-linking in the unwound SmC* phase prevented the reoccurrence of the helical superstructure.