Vibrational spectroscopy studies of methacrylic polymers containing heterocyclic azo dyes

This paper presents the infrared characterization of methacrylic polymers containing heterocyclic azo dyes thin films using FTIR and Raman spectroscopies. The observed FTIR vibrational frequencies were analyzed and compared with theoretically predicted infrared spectra. The hybrid-type exchange-correlation potential of Becke, Lee, Yang and Paar (B3LYP) method and 6–311++G(d,p) basis set was applied to calculate polymers spectra. The computed IR spectra showed appreciable agreement with the experimental results. One can notice that the infrared properties of azo dyes polymers strongly depend on the type of substitution in the azobenzene moiety. Different substitution pattern in azobenzene moiety leads to significant changes in the spectrum.