SUPRAMOLECULA CHIRALITY IN NEW CHIRAL LIQUID CRYSTAL AZOPOLYMERS OBTAINED BY ATRP

Side-chain liquid crystal polymers (LCP) with tailored azobenzene moieties are widely studied due to the easy photomodulation of their properties (birefringence, non-linear optical properties and chiroptical properties) making them suitable for several applications as materials for holographic data recording, non-linear optics, artificial muscles or molecular switches.[1-5] The presence of a chiral group of one absolute configuration in the side chain can lead to induction of supramolecular chirality both in amorphous and liquid crystal state. Here, we present the synthesis by ATRP and the characterization of monodisperse chiral azopolymers of well-controlled structure (linear and three-arms star shaped) and different average molecular weights. These new azopolymers include L-lactic residues in the side chain, which can transmit their chirality to a supramolecular organization of the liquid crystal phase. The nature of the liquid crystal phases of the synthesized polymers has been characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and polarized optical microscopy (POM). The chiroptical properties of thin films of the azopolymers were investigated before and after irradiation with right (R)- and left (L)- circularly polarized light (CP) by circular dichroism (CD). All the irradiated polymeric films displayed amplified CD signals, with the largest level of supramolecular photoinduced chirality exhibited by linear polymers. [1] T. Ikeda, O. Tsutsumi, Science 1995, 268, 1873. [2] S. Xie, A. Natansohn, P. Rochon, Chem. Mater. 1993, 5, 403. [3] T. Verbiest, M. Kauranen, A. Persoons, J. Mater. Chem. 1999, 9, 2005. [4] R.M. Tejedor, M. Millaruelo, L. Oriol, J.L. Serrano, R. Alcal\ue0, F.J. Rodr\uecguez, B. Villacampa, J. Mater. Chem., 2006, 16, 1674. [5] G. Iftime, F.L. Labarthet, A. Natansohn, P. Rochon, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2000, 122, 12646

Technology-Enhanced Learning in Higher Education

© 2014 by IGI Global. All rights reserved. This chapter explores issues that affect the uptake and integration of Technology in Higher Education, developing a framework to overcome some of the barriers. Technological adoption varies across disciplines. The authors consider disciplines as tribes, where some find technology acceptable and an enabler, whilst for others it is alien and deemed inappropriate. Some territories reflect technology as an area to defend and expand, whilst for others the imposition of technology and associated practices are considered a hostile intrusion into discipline practice. Within the framework, the authors reflect on various perspectives: practitioners', students', and support teams' perspectives within the wider ecosystems and structures. Practitioner concerns reflect discipline traditions and practices, from teaching through to assessment and how to manage the Wikipedia generation. Students' needs in a technological age reflect the demands of the Netizen as student, and the rise and challenge of MOOCs to the teacher and the learner. Institutional mechanisms provide the situation for the use of technology. The authors provide a framework within which to explore the above concerns and describe mechanisms to unite the academic tribes, to see the territorial boundaries as artificial and counter-productive, and to enable the utilisation of E-Learning in current and future Higher Education settings