Thermal reaction of cinnamate oligomers and their effect on the orientational stability of liquid crystals

Abstract

Cinnamate groups are well-known for a dimerization reaction upon exposure to ultraviolet irradiation and a thermal reaction after being heated. In this study, to verify the thermal reaction of the cinnamate group in detail, we investigated the thermal crosslinking of cinnamate oligomers. The thermal reaction of cinnamate oligomers of low molecular weight is induced more readily by thermal energy compared with that of cinnamate polymers. This reaction is attributed to a radical reaction involving the carbon-carbon double bond in the cinnamate group. The orientation of the liquid crystal depended on the length of the spacers in the cinnamate oligomers.