SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF CERTAIN PHOTOCROSSLINKABLE RANDOM COPOLYESTERS WITH BISCHALCONE MOIETY

Six novel random copolyesters with bischalcone moiety in main chain were synthesized using direct polycondensation method. A common diol namely 1,5-dihydroxyanthraquinone and two varying diols namely 3,3’-(1,4-phenylene)bis(1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)prop-2-en-1-one) (THAP) and 3,3’-(1,4-phenylene)bis(1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)prop-2-en-1-one) (TMAP) and diacid chlorides (succinyl, glutaryl and oxalyl chlorides) were used for the synthesis of copolyesters by solution polycondensation. Acid catalyzed Claisen-Schmidt reaction was employed to synthesize the two varying diols. These photo sensitive copolyesters were characterized by FT-IR, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR spectroscopy. Thermal transitions were recorded from DSC thermograms. Hot stage optical polarized microscopy (HOPM) was utilized to ascertain the liquid crystallinity of these copolyesters. The photocrosslinkability of the copolyesters was established with UV irradiation and SEM analysis.