The goal of this thesis was to create a novel stable water-soluble azo polymer with photoswitchable properties, which was to be used as a scaffold in directing neuron growth. The new polymer, PDR2, was synthesized and extensively characterized to understand its physical and chemical properties, as well as to ascertain the structure. Characterization techniques included nuclear magnetic resonance, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, absorption spectroscopy, and ellipsometry. The photoresponsive properties of the polymer were then studied by examining quantum yields and birefringence, and the variation of these properties with humidity was examined, after being deposited onto thin films using layer-by-layer self-assembly. Quantum yields were found to increase with humidity up to a maximum determined to be at approximately 30% relative humidity, and were then found to decrease with increasing humidity. This was thought to be due to a combination of factors including plasticization and the formation of water clusters. Birefringence experiments revealed that the thin films did not produce a stable birefringence state. Many factors, including low azo content in the polymer, interaction with polymer side groups, and the mobility of polyelectrolyte multilayers were thought to contribute to these results.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.101850 |
| Date | January 2007 |
| Creators | Haria, Mehul. |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Science (Department of Chemistry.) |
| Rights | © Mehul Haria, 2007 |
| Relation | alephsysno: 002670985, proquestno: AAIMR38401, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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