Polymer Film with Optically Controlled Form and Actuation (Preprint)

Abstract

Polymer networks containing azobenzene liquid-crystalline (azo LC) moieties are capable of changing their macroscopic shape when influenced by light. Two distinct processes take place in azo LCs due to the photoisomerization of the azobenzene chromophores. Trans-cis isomerization and thus a reduced order parameter is dominant at UV wavelengths whereas trans-cis-trans isomerization processes are dominant at visible wavelengths resulting in orientation of the molecules perpendicular to the beam polarization.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 2006
Accession Number
ADA474968

Entities

People

  • Nelson Tabiryan
  • Svetlana Serak
  • Timothy J. Bunning
  • Xio-man Dai

Organizations

  • Air Force Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Force Facilities
  • Air Force Research Laboratories
  • Argon Lasers
  • Azobenzenes
  • Chromophores
  • Films
  • Government Procurement
  • Governments
  • Information Exchange
  • Lasers
  • Materials
  • Military Research
  • Polarization
  • Polymeric Films
  • Polymers
  • Radiation

Fields of Study

  • Chemistry

Readers

  • Polymer Science and Technology
  • Spectroscopy.