The thesis is devoted to synthesis of azoesters of methacrylic acid and copolymers based on them for information technologies. Synthesized and investigated 76 azobenzene containing compounds, 5 of them are model hydroxyazocompounds with different donor-acceptor radicals and 5 corresponding methacrylic azomonomers. On their basis, 66 azobenzene containing methacrylic copolymers with alkylmethacrylates were obtained. Among them, 30 copolymers were obtained by the method of thermoinitiation radical copolymerization. For the first time, 36 new copolymers were obtained by the method of polymer-analogous transformations. Azopolymers contain an azobenzene fragment in the side chain, and also alkyl fragments of various lengths, carboxylic groups, and free methacrylic double bonds capable of photopolymerization under action of UV-light.
In azopolymer films, obtained by the method of polymer-analogous transformations, are investigated the phenomenon of photoinduced optical anisotropy and the possibility of their application for photoalignment of liquid crystals. It has been shown, that with an increase in the length of the alkyl fragment of these copolymers from -СН3 to -С10Н21 under action of linearly polarized UV-light, occurs transition of alignment of liquid crystal from tilted (for -СН3 and -С4Н9) to homeotropic (for -С8Н17 and -С10Н21).
On the basis of the obtained azopolymers, polarization-sensitive recording media for holographic recording of optical information have been created and their properties have been investigated at recording holograms of a plane wavefront with parallel and perpendicular polarization of the recording beams. For the first time, the possibility of enhancing the surface relief of azopolymer films, which have the softening temperature close to the room temperature, has been established, with use of an external electric field induced by a corona discharge at registration of polarization holograms. For the first time, is proposed a mode of controlling the diffraction efficiency of polarization holograms with use of an external electric field, for recording media based on azopolymers, which have the softening temperature close to the room temperature.
At researching of recording media on the basis of azopolymers, obtained by the method of radical copolymerization, it has been established, that times of recording and relaxation (storage) of polarization holograms and the value of their diffraction efficiency are determined by the processes of formation of the surface relief of polymer films, which have the softening temperature close to the room temperature, at photoinduced trans-cis isomerization of side chain azobenzene fragments. A significant increase of the diffraction efficiency of the polarization holograms was established due to the strengthening of the surface relief of polymer films in the external electric field created by a corona discharge. This increase occurs to greater speed for copolymers, the azobenzene fragments of which have a larger dipole moment, and leads to increase of time of relaxation of recorded holograms.
It is shown that in the recording media based on azopolymers, the softening temperature of which exceeds room temperature, the diffraction efficiency of holograms does not show any connection with the softening temperature of polymer films.
At researching of recording media on the basis of azopolymers, obtained by the method of polymer-analogous transformations, it is established, that the times of recording and relaxation of the polarization holograms and the value of their diffraction efficiency are determined by the processes of photoinduced trans-cis isomerization of side chain azobenzene fragments without the formation of the surface relief of polymer films. The Br atom presence, which complicates the trans-cis isomerization of azobenzene fragments in the ”hard” matrixes of these copolymers, leads to decreasing of the diffraction efficiency of the recorded holograms.
