Issue 28, 2007

Tri-component Diels–Alder polymerized dendrimer glass exhibiting large, thermally stable, electro-optic activity

Abstract

A novel, thermally curable, tri-component organic glass for electro-optic applications was designed and synthesized. The system employed the Diels–Alder cycloaddition reaction to effect efficient cross-linking. The first component was a dendrimer containing multiple electro-optic chromophore substituents surrounded by an outer periphery possessing diene functionality. The second was a furan-protected, bis-dienophile electro-optic chromophore, introduced in order to function as a nonlinear optically-active cross-linking agent. The initial glass-transition temperature of the material was tuned by the addition of the third component, an optically-inert, maleimide-based dienophile cross-linking agent. Tuning of this mixture allowed optimum poling temperature to coincide with optimum thermal conditions for promotion of the Diels–Alder cross-linking reaction. The electro-optic properties of the material were evaluated in real-time, using a reflection-based single-beam ellipsometry apparatus that was modified to perform in situ signal monitoring. The high electro-optic activity observed (r33 of 150 pm V−1), was thermally stable up to 130 °C (a 48 °C improvement over similar uncross-linked materials). After processing, materials were insoluble in acetone, retained 90% of their original r33 after 15 months at room temperature, and performed well in accelerated operational testing at 85 °C in air.

Graphical abstract: Tri-component Diels–Alder polymerized dendrimer glass exhibiting large, thermally stable, electro-optic activity

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
06 Feb 2007
Accepted
02 Apr 2007
First published
23 Apr 2007

J. Mater. Chem., 2007,17, 2899-2903

Tri-component Diels–Alder polymerized dendrimer glass exhibiting large, thermally stable, electro-optic activity

P. A. Sullivan, B. C. Olbricht, A. J. P. Akelaitis, A. A. Mistry, Y. Liao and L. R. Dalton, J. Mater. Chem., 2007, 17, 2899 DOI: 10.1039/B701815K

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Spotlight

Advertisements