Abstract
The rheological behavior of a nematic polymethacrylate containing an azobenzene side group was investigated. The time-temperature superposition principle was found to hold over a large temperature range, as no discontinuities were detected at the isotropic-nematic transition temperature, despite the relatively high molar mass of the polymer. A direct proof of the unentangled behavior of the polymer is provided, which stems from a dynamic model able to predict the relaxation mechanisms by simply knowing the molar mass distribution of the polymer sample.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank the Regione Toscana, POR Ob.3 D4, for partial financial support of the work.