Synthesis and properties of a new azobenzene side-chain polymer containing a tempo radical

To allow anisotropies of optical properties in a magnetic field, nitroxide radical is introduced into the ortho-position of the phenylene ring in the side chain. A new azobenzene side-chain polymer (TEMPO-PAZ) containing TEMPO radical was synthesized. The polymer has a good solubility in organic solvents. The ESR spectrum of the polymer indicated three absorption lines characteristic of TEMPO radical. The optical phase conjugated responses (I-4) of the polymer films were investigated by degenerate four-wave mixing (DFWM). The experimental results showed that optical phase conjugated response of the TEMPO-PAZ could be easily controlled by choosing the appropriate direction of magnetic field presumably due to the nitroxide radical in the TEMPO-PAZ molecular structure. For the polymer investigated here, the nitroxide radical was introduced to increase optical phase conjugated response intensity in a magnetic field, aiming originally at searching for a new photo-active organic magnetic multifunctional materials.