Thermo-optical study of UV cured polyether urethane diacrylate films with dispersed octadecanol

Thermally reversible light scattering (TRLS) films are prepared from ultraviolet (UV) curing of polyether urethane diacrylate (PEUDA) with dispersed low molecular weight 1-octadecanol (OD). Depending on the temperature, the OD domains are crystalline or amorphous and this produce opaque or transparent films in a reversible way. Stable optically transparent and light scattering states are obtained after 100 successive heating–cooling cycles. Moreover, morphologies of the OD domains could be varied significantly with the cure temperature and this led to notable discrepancy in optical properties. By using an UV-mask and curing in two steps at different temperatures, complex patterns could be recorded in the film that were encoded at high temperatures (60 °C) and revealed at low temperatures (i.e., at room temperature), which makes the film a candidate for thermo-optical recording medium.