Photo-controlled alignment and helical organization in main-chain liquid crystalline alternating polymers

Hirotoshi Sakaino; Brigitte A.G. Lamers; Stefan C.J. Meskers; E.W. Meijer; Ghislaine Vantomme

doi:10.1002/pol.20210057

Photo-controlled alignment and helical organization in main-chain liquid crystalline alternating polymers

Hirotoshi Sakaino, Brigitte A.G. Lamers, Stefan C.J. Meskers, E.W. Meijer, Ghislaine Vantomme (Corresponding author)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

12 Citations (Scopus)

55 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Materials with highly ordered nanoscale structures can translate molecular processes to macroscopic function. Here we report on the photo-controlled organization of achiral alternating copolymers composed of discrete length blocks showing well-defined sub-10 nm morphologies. These alternating copolymers consist of main-chain azobenzene building blocks alternating with discrete oDMS blocks of various precise lengths. Remarkably, we demonstrate the imprinting of a stable helical molecular arrangement in spin-casted thin films by irradiation with circularly polarized light, without chiral dopant or plasticizer required. By following the out-of-equilibrium photo-switching process over irradiation time, the mechanism of molecular reorganization is unraveled and rationalized with the nature of the morphology. Linear photo-organization is preferentially reached with flexible and symmetric cylindrical structures while helical photo-organization is most easily obtained with robust but rotatable lamella structures. These findings suggest that precision in the synthesis and assembly of alternating copolymers can lead to complete control over molecular organization and main-chain motion.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1131-1141
Number of pages	11
Journal	Journal of Polymer Science
Volume	59
Issue number	12
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/pol.20210057
Publication status	Published - 15 Jun 2021

Funding

The authors would like to thank Prof. Dick J. Broer for fruitful discussions, and Bas de Waal for synthesis of DMSs. The authors are thankful for the financial support from Toray Industries Inc. and from the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (Gravity program 024.001.035) and NWO‐VENI Grant 722.017.003. o

Funders	Funder number
Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen
Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap	024.001.035

Keywords

azobenzene
discrete oligomers
liquid crystalline copolymer
oligodimethylsiloxane
photo-alignment

Access to Document

10.1002/pol.20210057

pol.20210057Final published version, 4.61 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{075c328df1ed466393ead8d451e91649,

title = "Photo-controlled alignment and helical organization in main-chain liquid crystalline alternating polymers",

abstract = "Materials with highly ordered nanoscale structures can translate molecular processes to macroscopic function. Here we report on the photo-controlled organization of achiral alternating copolymers composed of discrete length blocks showing well-defined sub-10 nm morphologies. These alternating copolymers consist of main-chain azobenzene building blocks alternating with discrete oDMS blocks of various precise lengths. Remarkably, we demonstrate the imprinting of a stable helical molecular arrangement in spin-casted thin films by irradiation with circularly polarized light, without chiral dopant or plasticizer required. By following the out-of-equilibrium photo-switching process over irradiation time, the mechanism of molecular reorganization is unraveled and rationalized with the nature of the morphology. Linear photo-organization is preferentially reached with flexible and symmetric cylindrical structures while helical photo-organization is most easily obtained with robust but rotatable lamella structures. These findings suggest that precision in the synthesis and assembly of alternating copolymers can lead to complete control over molecular organization and main-chain motion.",

keywords = "azobenzene, discrete oligomers, liquid crystalline copolymer, oligodimethylsiloxane, photo-alignment",

author = "Hirotoshi Sakaino and Lamers, {Brigitte A.G.} and Meskers, {Stefan C.J.} and E.W. Meijer and Ghislaine Vantomme",

year = "2021",

month = jun,

day = "15",

doi = "10.1002/pol.20210057",

language = "English",

volume = "59",

pages = "1131--1141",

journal = "Journal of Polymer Science",

issn = "2642-4150",

publisher = "Wiley",

number = "12",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Photo-controlled alignment and helical organization in main-chain liquid crystalline alternating polymers

AU - Sakaino, Hirotoshi

AU - Lamers, Brigitte A.G.

AU - Meskers, Stefan C.J.

AU - Meijer, E.W.

AU - Vantomme, Ghislaine

PY - 2021/6/15

Y1 - 2021/6/15

N2 - Materials with highly ordered nanoscale structures can translate molecular processes to macroscopic function. Here we report on the photo-controlled organization of achiral alternating copolymers composed of discrete length blocks showing well-defined sub-10 nm morphologies. These alternating copolymers consist of main-chain azobenzene building blocks alternating with discrete oDMS blocks of various precise lengths. Remarkably, we demonstrate the imprinting of a stable helical molecular arrangement in spin-casted thin films by irradiation with circularly polarized light, without chiral dopant or plasticizer required. By following the out-of-equilibrium photo-switching process over irradiation time, the mechanism of molecular reorganization is unraveled and rationalized with the nature of the morphology. Linear photo-organization is preferentially reached with flexible and symmetric cylindrical structures while helical photo-organization is most easily obtained with robust but rotatable lamella structures. These findings suggest that precision in the synthesis and assembly of alternating copolymers can lead to complete control over molecular organization and main-chain motion.

AB - Materials with highly ordered nanoscale structures can translate molecular processes to macroscopic function. Here we report on the photo-controlled organization of achiral alternating copolymers composed of discrete length blocks showing well-defined sub-10 nm morphologies. These alternating copolymers consist of main-chain azobenzene building blocks alternating with discrete oDMS blocks of various precise lengths. Remarkably, we demonstrate the imprinting of a stable helical molecular arrangement in spin-casted thin films by irradiation with circularly polarized light, without chiral dopant or plasticizer required. By following the out-of-equilibrium photo-switching process over irradiation time, the mechanism of molecular reorganization is unraveled and rationalized with the nature of the morphology. Linear photo-organization is preferentially reached with flexible and symmetric cylindrical structures while helical photo-organization is most easily obtained with robust but rotatable lamella structures. These findings suggest that precision in the synthesis and assembly of alternating copolymers can lead to complete control over molecular organization and main-chain motion.

KW - azobenzene

KW - discrete oligomers

KW - liquid crystalline copolymer

KW - oligodimethylsiloxane

KW - photo-alignment

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85102437528&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1002/pol.20210057

DO - 10.1002/pol.20210057

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85102437528

SN - 2642-4150

VL - 59

SP - 1131

EP - 1141

JO - Journal of Polymer Science

JF - Journal of Polymer Science

IS - 12

ER -

Photo-controlled alignment and helical organization in main-chain liquid crystalline alternating polymers

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this