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Photoinduced Ordering Transition in Microdroplets of Liquid Crystals with Azo‐Dendrimer
Author(s) -
Lee Guksik,
Araoka Fumito,
Ishikawa Ken,
Momoi Yuichi,
Haba Osamu,
Yonetake Koichiro,
Takezoe Hideo
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
particle and particle systems characterization
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.877
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1521-4117
pISSN - 0934-0866
DOI - 10.1002/ppsc.201300110
Subject(s) - photoisomerization , liquid crystal , dendrimer , chemical physics , molecule , materials science , perpendicular , ferrocene , crystallography , chemistry , photochemistry , organic chemistry , optoelectronics , polymer chemistry , catalysis , isomerization , electrode , geometry , mathematics , electrochemistry
Ordering transitions are observed in azo‐dendrimer‐dissolved nematic liquid crystal (NLC) droplets dispersed in a glycerol matrix. The dendrimer molecules are spontaneously attached at the interface between NLC and glycerol, so that the nematic directors orient perpendicular to the interface, in the radial configuration. Photoisomerization makes the directors be tangential to the interface, in a photoinduced ordering transition from radial to bipolar structure. Similar experiments are conducted both in cholesteric (Ch) and smectic‐A (SmA) LC droplets. Complicated photoinduced ordering transitions are also observed in Ch and SmA droplets, and the associated molecular orientation changes are discussed. Photoisomerizable azo‐dendrimer molecules provide a possible way to control orientation, even in microdroplet systems in which the interface cannot be treated by conventional surface agents.