1 research outputs found
Photoinduced Deformation of Rigid Azobenzene-Containing Polymer Networks
Photoresponsive polyÂ(amide acid) (PAA) gels containing
multiple
azobenzene units in a rigid aromatic backbone were synthesized. A
centimeter-long cantilever made up of the photoresponsive PAA gel
exhibited reversible bending motions upon blue (442 nm) and visible
light (>490 nm) irradiation. The network structure in the PAA gels
during alternating photoirradiation of blue and visible light was
characterized using <i>in situ</i> scanning microscopic
dynamic light scattering (SMILS), which revealed reversible mesh-size
changes synchronized with the photoisomerization of azobenzene moieties.
The photomechanical responses of the PAA gel were likely due to photoinduced
contracting and stretching motions of the polymer backbone. A numerical
calculation of photon absorptions revealed that photoisomerization
in a very thin layer of the surface (∼40 μm) generated
large macroscopic motion and large strain in the gel cantilever. The
photoresponsive capability is, however, reduced or eliminated when
the PAA gels are transformed to the corresponding polyimide (PI) gels,
due to the large shrinkage caused by poor solubility of the backbone
in the polyimide state