Influence of Architecture, Concentration, and Thermal History on the Poling of Nonlinear Optical Chromophores in Block Copolymer Domains
- UW
Factors affecting the electric-field-induced poling of nonlinear optical chromophores in block copolymer domains were investigated by encapsulating the chromophores in a linear-diblock copolymer [poly(styrene-b-4-vinylpyridine)] and linear-dendritic (poly(methyl methacrylate)-dendron) block copolymer via hydrogen bonding. Temperature-dependent Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and morphology evaluation by X-ray scattering and transmission electron microscopy were used with in situ second harmonic generation to correlate domain architectures, processing conditions such as thermal history, and chromophore concentrations with poling efficiency. Poling of chromophores encapsulated in the minority domain (spheres or cylinders) of a linear-diblock copolymer was inhibited by the increasing chromophore concentration within the domain and the chemical nature of the majority domain. Chromophore encapsulation in the majority domain produced the most favorable conditions for poling as measured by in situ second harmonic generation. Thermal annealing of the linear-diblock copolymer/chromophore composites resulted in chromophore aggregation with a corresponding decrease in nonlinear optical activity. The linear-dendron/chromophore system presented the most effective architecture for spatially dispersing chromophores. These findings suggest that while well-ordered phase-separated systems such as block copolymers enhance chromophore isolation over homopolymer systems, a more effective approach is to explore polymer chains end functionalized with chromophores.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Advanced Photon Source (APS)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 1006843
- Journal Information:
- Macromolecules, Vol. 41, Issue (13) ; 2008
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- ENGLISH
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