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Light-Sensitive Azobenzene-Containing Liquid Crystalline Polymers

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Polymers and Polymeric Composites: A Reference Series

Part of the book series: Polymers and Polymeric Composites: A Reference Series ((POPOC))

Abstract

Photoresponsive Liquid Crystalline Polymers bear light sensitive units that reversibly undergo transformations between their isomer forms when exposed to light in their absorption bands. These transformations, taking place at the molecular level, influence the electronic molecular structure and as a result the optical absorption of the molecule, a phenomenon that is known as photochromism. This light-induced change of the color of the material is of great interest in the preparation of systems such as optical memories and switches. Besides, the isomerization of the chromophores can lead to motions at the molecular level that can be amplified through cooperative effects typical in liquid crystalline materials resulting in photoinduced effects and properties.

Besides fulgides, diarylethenes, spiropyrans, and spirooxazines, azobenzene molecules have drawn a great deal of attention in combination with liquid crystalline polymers since their synthetic versatility and the promesogenic shape of the thermodinamically stable trans isomer that allows to keep the liquid crystalline phase of the material, in which they are incorporated. The bent shape shown by the light-induced cis isomer strongly distorts the liquid crystalline character of the polymer in which the chromophore is incorporated and can lead to important changes of the material morphology and macroscopic properties.

Rational design of the liquid crystalline polymeric photoresponsive materials has been carried out to exploit their potential in very diverse fields of application. Photoresponsive systems have been optimized due to their potential in (holographic) optical storage. Photoinduced generated surface relief structures with interest in photonic applications have been explored. Photoalignment is being studied as a tool to generate periodic patterns at the nanoscale with interest in nanolithography. Finally, macroscopic motions of film of these materials have shown their potential to generate new robotic functions for soft actuators.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Aragón (ICMA), CSIC-Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain

    Carlos Sánchez-Somolinos

  2. CIBER in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Madrid, Spain

    Carlos Sánchez-Somolinos

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  1. Carlos Sánchez-Somolinos
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Correspondence to Carlos Sánchez-Somolinos .

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Sánchez-Somolinos, C. (2020). Light-Sensitive Azobenzene-Containing Liquid Crystalline Polymers. In: Polymers and Polymeric Composites: A Reference Series. Polymers and Polymeric Composites: A Reference Series. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-37179-0_63-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-37179-0_63-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-37179-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-37179-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Chemistry and Mat. ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Light-Sensitive Azobenzene-Containing Liquid Crystalline Polymers
    Published:
    05 June 2020

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-37179-0_63-2

  2. Original

    Light-Sensitive Azobenzene-Containing Liquid Crystalline Polymers
    Published:
    15 October 2019

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-37179-0_63-1

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