Photoinduced Deformation of Photomobile Polymer Materials with Novel Mesogens at -196 ˚C

Abstract

Conventional photomobile polymer materials show macroscopic deformation upon irradiation with light only above room temperature. Thus, the driving temperature conditions are limited. It is desirable that photoinduced deformation should occur in a wide range of temperature. Therefore, we introduced new mesogens into photomobile polymer materials, such as those with bicyclohexyl moieties, and evaluated their photoresponsive properties in liquid nitrogen. The polymer films showed bending toward a light source when irradiated with UV light at room temperature. Then the bent films were immersed in liquid nitrogen and exposed to visible and UV light. We observed that they indicated reversible and repeatable deformation.