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Liquid‐Crystalline Polymer with a Block Mesogenic Side Group: Photoinduced Manipulation of Nanophase‐Separated Structures
Author(s) -
Okano Kunihiko,
Mikami Yasuyuki,
Yamashita Takashi
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.200901247
Subject(s) - materials science , mesogen , lamellar structure , polymer , liquid crystal , amphiphile , moiety , chemical engineering , polymer chemistry , copolymer , liquid crystalline , organic chemistry , composite material , optoelectronics , chemistry , engineering
In this report, a novel type of photoresponsive liquid crystalline polymer with a block mesogenic side‐group is demonstrated. The block mesogene is an amphipathic molecule containing a hydrophobic mesogene (azotolane moiety) and hydrophilic oligooxyethylene moieties in the same unit. The block mesogene in the polymer plays a role in liquid crystalline, amphiphilic and photoresponsive properties. As expected, a film prepared from the polymer exhibits phase separation of a lamellar structure due to cooperative motion between liquid crystal assembly and nanophase separation. The morphology of the lamellae can be aligned upon irradiation of linearly polarized light. Moreover, a photochemical phase transition induced by unpolarized UV irradiation erases the surface morphology. The erased nanostructure can be recovered by annealing or irradiation of linearly polarized light, meaning that the surface morphology is rewritable via a photochemical process.