Macromolecular Rapid Communications, Vol.35, No.14, 1266-1272, 2014
Photoinduced Bending Behavior of Cross-linked Azobenzene Liquid-Crystalline Polymer Films with a Poly(oxyethylene) Backbone
Cross-linked azobenzene liquid-crystalline polymer films with a poly(oxyethylene) backbone are synthesized by photoinitiated cationic copolymerization. Azobenzene moieties in the film surface toward the light source are simultaneously photoaligned during photopolymerization with unpolarized 436 nm light and thus form a splayed alignment in the whole film. The prepared films show reversible photoinduced bending behavior with opposite bending directions when different surfaces of one film face to ultraviolet light irradiation.
Keywords:azobenzene;liquid-crystalline polymers;photoinduced bending;photoinitiated cationic polymerization