Issue 10, 2021

The contribution of intermolecular forces to phototropic actuation of liquid crystalline elastomers

Abstract

Photomechanical effects in liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) functionalized with photochromic moieties, such as azobenzene, have been widely studied. This prior work has demonstrated that isothermal, photoinduced (e.g. phototropic) disruption of order via isomerization of azobenzene affects the anisotropic chain configurations of the polymer network. Here, we examine the contribution of the strength of intermolecular interactions between polymer chains in the LCE to both the thermotropic and phototropic response. By incorporating liquid crystalline monomers with reduced aromatic content, both the temperature and irradiation conditions to induce mechanical response are reduced.

Graphical abstract: The contribution of intermolecular forces to phototropic actuation of liquid crystalline elastomers

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
07 janv. 2021
Accepted
08 févr. 2021
First published
22 févr. 2021

Polym. Chem., 2021,12, 1581-1587

Author version available

The contribution of intermolecular forces to phototropic actuation of liquid crystalline elastomers

T. S. Hebner, C. N. Bowman and T. J. White, Polym. Chem., 2021, 12, 1581 DOI: 10.1039/D1PY00028D

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