EPOXY-BASED NONLINEAR-OPTICAL POLYMERS FUNCTIONALIZED WITH TRICYANOVINYL CHROMOPHORES

Two types of new nonlinear optical polymers have been synthesized by p ostreaction of an epoxy-based polymer prepared from the diglycidyl eth er of bisphenol A and aniline. The new polymers DG;EBA-AZO-TCV and DGE BA-AN-TCV were synthesized by azo coupling of the epoxy polymer with 4 -(tricyanovinyl)aniline and by reacting the epoxy polymer with tetracy anoethylene, respectively. Using an azo coupling reaction to functiona lize the polymer allows introduction of the tricyanovinyl (TCV) group and extension of the conjugation length to take place in a single-step reaction. In both synthetic routes, TCV groups are introduced at the last stage of the polymer preparation, thus preventing the exposure of the TCV chromophores to harsh reaction conditions. The d(33) values f or polymers DGEBA-AN-TCV and DGEBA-AZO-TCV were determined to be 27 an d 66 pm/V at 1.542 mu m, respectively, after corona poling. The two po lymers retained 65% and 83% of the initial d(33) values after they had been heated at 80 degrees C for 1000 h.