Photochromic chiral liquid crystalline systems containing spiro-oxazine with a chiral substituent II. Photoinduced behaviour

The photoinduced behaviour of low molecular mass liquid crystalline (LC) systems doped with the chiral photochromic spiro-oxazine, 9'-{5-(-)-menthoxyacetoxy-1,3-dihydro-1,3,3-trimethylspiro [2H-indole-2,3'-[3H]naphth-[2.1-b][1,4]oxazine]} 4-[11-(tetrahydro-2-pyranyloxy)undecyloxy] biphenyl-4'-carboxylate (THP11SOM) was observed by means of transmittance measurements at 21 degreesC. The experimental results revealed that the ring-opened merocyanine form of THP11SOM resulting from the photochromism first disturbed the helical planar orientation of the LC molecules and then induced a new helical pitch. The magnitudes of both the disturbance in orientation of the LC molecules and the shift in the helical pitch were significantly influenced by the concentration of THP11SOM. The photoinduced behaviour was reversible due to the photochemical and thermal back reaction of the THP11SOM. In addition, the effect of UV light on the nematic-isotropic transition temperatures of the mixtures with or without a hindered amine light stabilizer was studied.