NEW AZO-DYE CONTAINING SIDE-GROUP COPOLYMETHACRYLATES

A new type of side group copolymethacrylates was synthesized, characte rized and tested with respect to its behavior on irradiation with an A r+-laser beam. The side groups consist of methylene spacer units with different length and of three-ring mesogens with an ester group betwee n the first and the second aromatic ring and on the other hand of two- ring mesogens with an ate-structure between the aromatic rings, respec tively. The azochromophoric structure contains different substituents in the terminal aromatic ring. The homopolymers of the ate-dye contain ing monomers do not display liquid crystalline (lc) mesophases, but th e three-ring mesogens induce lc-phases in opposition to the equimolari c copolymers with two-ring ester group mesogens. The lc phases are imp ortant for the stability of the recorded change of birefringence (phot orecording process) which is influenced by irradiation of the polymers .