Riso National Laboratory

Consiglio Nazionale Della Richerche

Fulvio Andruzzi

Soren Hvilsted

P S Ramanujam

A macroscopically isotropic side chain liquid crystal polymer is described containing photochromic mesogenic groups and which through irradiation with light is capable of being permanently or substantially permanently converted into an optically anisotropic phase without having been pre-oriented. The polymer is preferably a polyester between on the one hand either an aliphatic, optionally substituted, .alpha.,.omega.-dicarboxylic acid having a total chain length of up to 24 carbon atoms, or an aryl-, in particular phenyl-, carboxylic acid, and on the other hand an optionally substituted 1,3-propanediol containing the mesogenic group, or a group containing the mesogenic group, attached to the carbon in the 2-position. Furthermore, an optical storage device comprising a film of the polymer.

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Pisa, Italy

Fulvio Andruzzi