Relaxation behavior and nonlinear properties of thermally stable polymers based on glycidyl derivatives of quercetin

Abstract Cross-linked polymers on the basis of di-, tri and tetraglycidyl ethers of quercetin (3,3′,4′,5,7-pentahydroxyflavone) were synthesized, and then, poled in electrical field of corona discharge. Investigations of structural, thermal and optical parameters of the polymer films were carried out. It was found that the polymers obtained from di- and triglycidyl quercetin ethers had high values of macroscopic quadratic susceptibilities and substantial stability of nonlinear optical (NLO) properties after the poling. Tetraglycidyl ether of quercetin forms the polymer of lower quadratic susceptibility, which demonstrates noticeable relaxation process resulting in decrease of the NLO effect. It is supposed that the difference of the NLO properties is due to peculiarities of physical network of the polymers, namely to the ratio between numbers of hydrogen bonds formed by hydroxyl groups of chromophore fragments and by the ones of interfragmental parts of the polymeric chains.