Hierarchically Structured Stimuli-Responsive Liquid Crystalline Terpolymer–Rhodamine Dye Conjugates
Optically responsive materials are applied in sensing, actuators, and optical devices. One such class of material is dye-doped liquid crystal polymers that self-assemble into cholesteric mesophases that reflect visible light. We report here the synthesis and characterization of a family of linear an...
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| author | Samiksha Vaidya Meenakshi Sharma Christian Brückner Rajeswari M. Kasi |
| author_facet | Samiksha Vaidya Meenakshi Sharma Christian Brückner Rajeswari M. Kasi |
| author_sort | Samiksha Vaidya |
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| description | Optically responsive materials are applied in sensing, actuators, and optical devices. One such class of material is dye-doped liquid crystal polymers that self-assemble into cholesteric mesophases that reflect visible light. We report here the synthesis and characterization of a family of linear and mildly crosslinked terpolymers prepared by the ROMP of norbornene-based monomers. The three monomers were composed of (i) rhodamine dye through one or two norbornene end groups utilizing flexible C<sub>10</sub>-alkane spacers, (ii) a cholesteryl liquid crystal (LC) using C<sub>9</sub>-alkane spacers, and (iii) PEG side chains. We investigated how these architectural variations in these terpolymers impacted their hierarchically self-assembled mesophase properties. We probed their composition, morphology, thermal, mechanic, photochromic, and mechanochromic properties using, inter alia, <sup>1</sup>H NMR spectroscopy, DSC, temperature-dependent SAXS, diffuse reflectance UV-vis spectroscopy, and optical polarization microscopy. The new terpolymers exhibited architecture-dependent thermochromic, mechanochromic, and piezochromic properties arising from LC–rhodamine dye interactions. We found that a compromise between the rigidity and flexibility of the terpolymer architectures needed to be stricken to fully express stimuli-responsive properties. These terpolymers also showed distinctly different properties compared to those of a previously reported structurally related liquid crystalline copolymer made from two monomers. These findings help to define the design principles for optimally stimuli-responsive liquid crystalline polymers. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-5cbbd14dbb934609b0392b92ea72bbcf2025-01-24T13:43:55ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492025-01-0130240110.3390/molecules30020401Hierarchically Structured Stimuli-Responsive Liquid Crystalline Terpolymer–Rhodamine Dye ConjugatesSamiksha Vaidya0Meenakshi Sharma1Christian Brückner2Rajeswari M. Kasi3Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USADepartment of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USADepartment of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USADepartment of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USAOptically responsive materials are applied in sensing, actuators, and optical devices. One such class of material is dye-doped liquid crystal polymers that self-assemble into cholesteric mesophases that reflect visible light. We report here the synthesis and characterization of a family of linear and mildly crosslinked terpolymers prepared by the ROMP of norbornene-based monomers. The three monomers were composed of (i) rhodamine dye through one or two norbornene end groups utilizing flexible C<sub>10</sub>-alkane spacers, (ii) a cholesteryl liquid crystal (LC) using C<sub>9</sub>-alkane spacers, and (iii) PEG side chains. We investigated how these architectural variations in these terpolymers impacted their hierarchically self-assembled mesophase properties. We probed their composition, morphology, thermal, mechanic, photochromic, and mechanochromic properties using, inter alia, <sup>1</sup>H NMR spectroscopy, DSC, temperature-dependent SAXS, diffuse reflectance UV-vis spectroscopy, and optical polarization microscopy. The new terpolymers exhibited architecture-dependent thermochromic, mechanochromic, and piezochromic properties arising from LC–rhodamine dye interactions. We found that a compromise between the rigidity and flexibility of the terpolymer architectures needed to be stricken to fully express stimuli-responsive properties. These terpolymers also showed distinctly different properties compared to those of a previously reported structurally related liquid crystalline copolymer made from two monomers. These findings help to define the design principles for optimally stimuli-responsive liquid crystalline polymers.https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/2/401terpolymersliquid crystal polymersstimuli-responsive materialsT-dependent SAXS |
| spellingShingle | Samiksha Vaidya Meenakshi Sharma Christian Brückner Rajeswari M. Kasi Hierarchically Structured Stimuli-Responsive Liquid Crystalline Terpolymer–Rhodamine Dye Conjugates Molecules terpolymers liquid crystal polymers stimuli-responsive materials T-dependent SAXS |
| title | Hierarchically Structured Stimuli-Responsive Liquid Crystalline Terpolymer–Rhodamine Dye Conjugates |
| title_full | Hierarchically Structured Stimuli-Responsive Liquid Crystalline Terpolymer–Rhodamine Dye Conjugates |
| title_fullStr | Hierarchically Structured Stimuli-Responsive Liquid Crystalline Terpolymer–Rhodamine Dye Conjugates |
| title_full_unstemmed | Hierarchically Structured Stimuli-Responsive Liquid Crystalline Terpolymer–Rhodamine Dye Conjugates |
| title_short | Hierarchically Structured Stimuli-Responsive Liquid Crystalline Terpolymer–Rhodamine Dye Conjugates |
| title_sort | hierarchically structured stimuli responsive liquid crystalline terpolymer rhodamine dye conjugates |
| topic | terpolymers liquid crystal polymers stimuli-responsive materials T-dependent SAXS |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/2/401 |
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