Photo-responsive and thermoreversible networks from the self-assembly of azobenzene-containing liquid crystal triblock copolymers
(Conference Presentation)

Zuleikha Kurji; Julia A. Kornfield; Mark G. Kuzyk

doi:10.1117/12.2238494

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3 November 2016 Photo-responsive and thermoreversible networks from the self-assembly of azobenzene-containing liquid crystal triblock copolymers (Conference Presentation)

Zuleikha Kurji, Julia A. Kornfield, Mark G. Kuzyk

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Proceedings Volume 9939, Light Manipulating Organic Materials and Devices III; 99390B (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2238494
Event: SPIE Organic Photonics + Electronics, 2016, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

We report the synthesis of azobenzene-containing coil-liquid crystal-coil triblock copolymers that can serve as mechano-optic actuators for applications that include non-invasively steering fiber optics. The coil (polystyrene) end-blocks phase segregate from the liquid crystal midblock forming of uniform and uniformly-spaced physical crosslinks, resulting in highly reproducible and thermoreversible networks by self-assembly. These polymers are elastic in the melt (at room temperature) and can be easily spun, coated or molded. Mechanical stretching results in a temporary monodomain alignment. Starting from identical triblock prepolymers (with polystyerene end blocks and 1,2-polybutadiene midblocks), a matched pair (azobenzene-containing, and non-azobenzene-containing) of liquid crystal triblock copolymers was synthesized. These triblocks were then be blended to prepare a series of elastomers with 0 to 5% azobenzene groups, while matching in nearly all other physical properties (cross-link density, modulus, birefringence, etc.), allowing the effect of concentration of photo-responsive groups to be unambiguously determined. Results will be presented that demonstrate this approach to independent control of optical density and photo-mechanical sensitivity.

Conference Presentation

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Zuleikha Kurji, Julia A. Kornfield, and Mark G. Kuzyk "Photo-responsive and thermoreversible networks from the self-assembly of azobenzene-containing liquid crystal triblock copolymers (Conference Presentation)", Proc. SPIE 9939, Light Manipulating Organic Materials and Devices III, 99390B (3 November 2016); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2238494

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