No abstract

The photoinitated polymerization of 2-chloro-1, 4-phenylene bis[4.-[6-(acryloyloxy)hexyloxy]benzoate](1M) and trans 1 , cyclohexyldicarboxylate (3M) were studied. Both monomers exhibit a wide temperature range of nematic phase. The monomers were oriented in their nematic phase at a substrate having been coatedwith polyimide and unidirestionally rubbed with a nylon cloth. During polymerization, the ordering of the LC molecules was fixed, yielding a uniaxially crosslinked network. The clear LC networks exhibit a birefringence between 0. 14 and 0. 19, depending on the polymerization temperature. Finally, the nonmesogenic diluents. tetra(ethylene glycol) diacryalte and 1 ,2-bis(2,3-expoxypropyloxy)ethane were mixed with monomers 1M and 3M, subsequently decreasing the birefringences of the obtained LC networks. The LC networks containing non-mesogenic diluent exhibit not only a smaller birefnngence but also a weaker birefringence dispersion in the visible region.