Title: Preparation and Characterization of Azobenzene Liquid-crystalline Elastomer Films with Homeotropic Alignment

Author: Mizuho Kondo, Taketo Maeda, Atsushi Shishido, Tomiki Ikeda*, Yanlei Yu, Makoto Nakano, Takeshi Shiono

Journal: Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst., 2005, 441, 297-305

Abstract:

Azobenzene liquid-crystalline elastomer (LCE) films with homeotropic alignment were prepared by in-situ photopolymerization of mixtures of an LC monomer and a cross linker, both of which contain azobenzene chromophores. Thermodynamic and mesomorphic properties of the monomers and the LCE films were determined by differential scanning calorimertry and polarizing optical microscopy. X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that the LCE films show a smectic A phase. Polarized UV spectra and conoscopic observation with a polarizing optical microscope demonstrated that the azobenzene mesogens are aligned homeotropically in the films.

Fulltext Link: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15421400500205787