Optimized Processing Condition for a Photocrosslinkable Stable Nonlinear Optical Polymer

ABSTRACTThe optimum processing condition for a photocrosslinking Nonlinear Optical(NLO) polymeric system was established. Parameters such as change in heat capacity at glass transition temperature, rate of decrease of absorbance of residual uncrosslinked chromophores, and measurement of mass loss upon heating were used to set up the optimum condition. Poly(vinyl cinnamate) was used as the photocrosslinkable polymer and 3- cinnamoyloxy-4-[4-(N, N-diethylamino)-2-cinnamoyloxy phenyl azo] nitrobenzene was used as the NLO molecule. Poling at 70°C for 5 minutes followed by photocrosslinking with a dose of 2.5 mW/cm 2 for 10 minutes results in a stable second order nonlinear optical material.