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Optical shutter driven photochemically from supermolecular polymer/liquid crystalline networks
Author(s) -
Kurihara S.,
Nakatake Y.,
Masumoto K.,
aka T.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
polymers for advanced technologies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.61
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1099-1581
pISSN - 1042-7147
DOI - 10.1002/1099-1581(200008/12)11:8/12<434::aid-pat989>3.0.co;2-b
Subject(s) - azobenzene , materials science , polarizer , photoisomerization , liquid crystal , polymer , shutter , molecule , light scattering , scattering , optoelectronics , phase (matter) , optics , birefringence , composite material , chemistry , catalysis , physics , organic chemistry , isomerization , biochemistry
Polymer‐dispersed liquid crystals (PDLCs) with macroscopically uniaxial molecular alignment containing azobenzene molecules were prepared. The PDLCs were transparent because of their macroscopically uniaxial molecular alignment. Upon photoirradiation to cause trans–cis photoisomerization of azobenzene molecules, the PDLCs became translucent. The PDLC systems do not require the use of polarizers and electrodes to fabricate optical devices. The light scattering is attributed to a bi‐phasic morphology in the systems produced transiently by means of a partial photochemical phase transition. The light‐scattering behavior was investigated with respect to the effect of the polymer segments in the PDLCs. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.