Photomechanical Bending of Azobenzene-Based Photochromic Molecular Fibers

• Main Authors: Riku Matsui, Ryoji Ichikawa, Hideyuki Nakano
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2013-03-01
• Series: Micromachines
• Subjects: photomechanical effect; photochromic molecular fiber; azobenzene; photoinduced mass transport; bending motion; CdSe quantum dot
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/4/2/128

Microfibers composed of azobenzene-based photochromic amorphous molecular materials, namely low molecular-mass photochromic materials with a glass-forming property, could be fabricated. These fibers were found to exhibit mechanical bending motion upon irradiation with a laser beam. In addition, the bending direction could be controlled by altering the polarization direction of the irradiated light without changing the position of the light source or the wavelength of the light. In-situ fluorescence observation of mass transport induced at the surface of the fiber doped with CdSe quantum dots suggested that the bending motions were related with the photoinduced mass transport taking place near the irradiated surface of the fiber.