Synthesis of new poly(silicate esters) with disperse red 1 and their application as optical data storage materials

New silicate ester monomer was synthesized by the reaction of 3-methacrylox ypropylmethyldichlorosilane with disperse red I in methylene chloride. The monomer was polymerized with a radical initiator to produce the correspondi ng homopolymer and copolymers. These polymers were found to be excellent as reversible optical information recording media for data storage and retrie val through a trans-cia isomerization of the azobenzene groups by Ar Laser irradiation.