PHOTOACTIVE FILM, ITS PREPARATION AND USE, AND PREPARATION OF SURFACE RELIEF AND OPTICALLY ANISOTROPIC STRUCTURES BY IRRADIATING SAID FILM

摘要

The present invention relates to a homogeneous, photoactive film consisting of or comprising a polyelectrolyte carrying residues which may undergo a photoreaction, the polyelectrolyte mainly comprising at least one structure according to any of formulae (I) to (IV), namely [Pol(R*-P-R')]o on+ n/x Ax- (I), n/x Ax+ [Pol(R*-P-R') ]oon- (II), [Pol(R1*-Q-R1')]oon+ n/x Ax- (III), n/x Ax+ [Pol(R1*-Q-R1')]oon- (IV) , wherein Pol means a repeating unit of a linear or branched polymer chain, o indicates the number of the repeating unit of the polymer chain, and (R*-P-R') and (R1*-Q-R1') are n-fold positively or negatively charged side chains of the repeating unit Pol, wherein P is a group which is capable of photo-induced E/Z isomerization, Q is a group capable of participating in a photocycloaddition, or capable of participating in a photoinduced rearrangement, or the so called Photo-Fries reaction, A is a cation or anion which is oppositely charged, n is preferably 1 or 2, x is 1 or 2, and o is at least 2, with the proviso that in one polyelectrolyte, groups [R-P-R'] and/or [R1-Q- R1'] all have the same sign. The invention is further directed to the preparation of the film, its use and a method for the preparation of a replica of a film of the invention having a surface relief structure.