Synthesis and optical properties of poly[4-methacryloxy-(4′-carboxy)-azobenzene]

Abstract

In the present work, the homopolymer built from the free radical polymerization of methacrylic monomer incorporating an azobenzene side-group has been synthesized and structurally characterized. The optical properties such as refractive index, extinction coefficient, absorption coefficient and optical energy band gap of poly[4-methacryloxy-(4′-carboxy)-azobenzene] thin film prepared by high vacuum sublimation method were determined using spectroscopic ellipsometry combined with transmittance measurements.

We found that in the spectrum of extinction coefficient there are absorption bands, which are assigned as the n-π* and π-π* electronic transitions of the azo compound.

Keywords:

• azo dyes
• thin film
• absorption coefficient
• refractive index
• extinction coefficient

Acknowledgements

Financial support to instrumentation was obtained from European Regional Development Fund (Stage 2 of the Regional Centre of Innovativeness) and Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education.