Preparation of photo-crosslinked films of new Chalcone-based side chain type liquid crystalline polymers and its application to alignment film.

We synthesized two kinds of side chain type polymers containing chalconyl moieties to investigate the alignment's capability of photo-crosslinked polymer films. One is methacrylate type polymer having the chalconyl moiety in the side chain, and the other is imide type polymer. A smectic phase was exhibited for the methacrylate type polymers, while no mesophases were observed for the imide type polymer. These polymer films were irradiated with linearly polarized UV (LPUV) light (350  nm) under different conditions. The liquid crystalline (LC) cell was fabricated from the polymer film irradiated with LPUV light to examine the alignment properties of low molecular liquid crystal on the film. A mixture of a low molecular liquid crystal and a dichroic dye was filled in the LC cells. Alignment behavior of the low molecular liquid crystal was discussed by the dichroic ratio of the dichroic dye in the LC cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]