Photoresponsive Behavior of Liquid-Crystalline Networks

Freestanding azobenzene-containing liquidcrystalline network (LCN) films. with macroscopic uniaxial molecular alignment were prepared by insitu photopolymerization. By polarizing microscopy, fiber-like structures aligned in one direction were observed. Furthermore, with a confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM), it was confirmed that the fiber-like structures were formed even in the bulk of the LCNs. Upon UV light irradiation to cause trans-cis photoisomerization of the azobenzene molecules, the LCNfilms underwent a significant and anisotropic bending toward the irradiation direction of UV light. When the bent LCNfilms were exposed to Vis light, unbending of the LCN films immediately took place and the initial flat LCN films were restored. This bending and unbending behavior of the LCN films could be repeated just by changing the wavelength of the irradiation light. It was suggested that the bending was induced by an absorption gradient which produced a volume difference between the front surface area and the bulk of the network films.