Title: Light-Switchable Behavior of a Microarray of Azobenzene Liquid Crystal Polymer Induced by Photodeformation

Author: Zeng Yan, Xinming Ji, Wei Wu, Jia Wei, Yanlei Yu*

Journal: Macromol. Rapid Commun., 2012, 33(16), 1362–1367. (Cover Page)

Abstract:

A microarray with a period of about 1 μm was fabricated from a crosslinked liquid crystal polymer (CLCP) containing azobenzene groups by using the replica molding technique. In accordance with the photoinduced deformation of the CLCP induced by the photoisomerization of the azobenzene groups, on-off switch behavior on the reflection spectra of the microarray was observed by alternate irradiation with UV–Vis light. The reversible switch behavior indicates that the azobenzene CLCP microarray has potential applications in optical actuators.

Fulltext Link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/marc.201200303

The photoresponsive 2D microarray with a period of about 1 μm was fabricated from a crosslinked liquid crystal polymer (CLCP) containing azobenzene groups by using the replica technique. In accordance with the deformation of the CLCP pillars induced by the photoisomerization of the azobenzene groups, the CLCP microarray showed reversible changing behavior on the reflection spectra by alternate irradiation of UV-Vis light mainly caused by the deformation in the order of the microarray. Because the higher the reflection from the spectra, the harder the light passes through the microarray, the reversible change on the reflection spectra can characterize the “on-off” behavior of the CLCP microarray, which indicates that the azobenzene CLCP microarray has potential applications in optical actuators.