Photoinduced ordering and alignment properties of polyvinylcinnamates

First order reaction kinetics have been accurately fitted to birefringence data taken on polyvinylcinnamate samples during polarized UV exposure. The peak measured value of 0.0136 is about three times smaller than that found in rubbed polymers. However the measured azimuthal anchoring energy (4.2 x 10(-6) J m(-2)) is about two orders of magnitude less than rubbed polymers. Thus it is suggested that the photoinduced ordering at the surface of polyvinylcinnamates may be different to that measured in the bulk.