Photodeformable Microspheres from Amphiphilic Azo Polyurethane

Reversible Photo-Induced Reshaping of Imprinted Microstructures Using a Low Molecular Azo Dye

A blend of low molecular azo glass (AZOPD) and polystyrene (PS) were used for the systematic investigation of photo-induced stretching and recovery of nanoimprinted structures. For this purpose, light and heat was used as recovery stimuli. The AZOPD/PS microstructures, fabricated with thermal nanoimprint lithography (tNIL), comprises three different shapes (circles, crosses and squares) and various concentrations of AZOPD fractions. The results show a concentration-dependent reshaping. Particularly the sample with 43 w-% of the AZOPD fraction have shown the best controllable recovery for the used parameters. A possible explanation for shape recovery might be the stabilizing effect of the PS-matrix.

Polarization Dependent Photoinduced Supramolecular Chirality in High-Performance Azo Materials

Here, we will show photo-induced supramolecular chirality in thin films of achiral amorphous polymers with azo groups in their side-chain. A matter of particular interest is the effect of various film thicknesses on azimuthal rotation and ellipticity of incident/transmitted polarized light. Furthermore, we investigated the temporal stability of inscribed chirality. By polarimetric measurements, we found out that the azimuthal rotation gets higher with layer thickness. In this scope, we were able to measure a very high azimuthal rotation of Δψ/d=112.5∘/μm. The inscribed chirality was stable for several days. Furthermore, we investigated the time-resolved behavior of incident and transmitted polarization ellipticities for various thicknesses. The time dependency may be explained by a two-step process: (1) fast trans-cis-isomerization resulting in photo-orientation and (2) slow photo-induced mass flow.

Light and latex: advances in the photochemistry of polymer colloids

Unparalleled temporal and spatial control of colloidal chemical processes introduces immense potential for the manufacturing, modification, and manipulation of latex particles.

Design of Collective Motions from Synthetic Molecular Switches, Rotors, and Motors

Precise control over molecular movement is of fundamental and practical importance in physics, biology, and chemistry. At nanoscale, the peculiar functioning principles and the synthesis of individual molecular actuators and machines has been the subject of intense investigations and debates over the past 60 years. In this review, we focus on the design of collective motions that are achieved by integrating, in space and time, several or many of these individual mechanical units together. In particular, we provide an in-depth look at the intermolecular couplings used to physically connect a number of artificial mechanically active molecular units such as photochromic molecular switches, nanomachines based on mechanical bonds, molecular rotors, and light-powered rotary motors. We highlight the various functioning principles that can lead to their collective motion at various length scales. We also emphasize how their synchronized, or desynchronized, mechanical behavior can lead to emerging functional properties and to their implementation into new active devices and materials.