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Light‐Driven Side‐On Nematic Elastomer Actuators
Author(s) -
Li M.H.,
Keller P.,
Li B.,
Wang X.,
Brunet M.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
advanced materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.707
H-Index - 527
eISSN - 1521-4095
pISSN - 0935-9648
DOI - 10.1002/adma.200304552
Subject(s) - materials science , elastomer , photoinitiator , mesogen , liquid crystal , irradiation , side chain , actuator , photochemistry , composite material , wavelength , optoelectronics , polymer chemistry , liquid crystalline , polymer , chemistry , physics , monomer , nuclear physics , electrical engineering , engineering
A range of monodomain nematic azo side‐on elastomers , containing different proportions of photoisomerizable azo mesogenic moieties, were prepared for the first time photochemically using a radical photoinitiator working at wavelengths above 600 nm. These elastomers exhibit a photomechanical contraction of up to 20 % upon irradiation with UV light. The Figure shows an elastomer film in its contracted form under UV irradiation.