demonstrated by precise control of the liquid crystal alignment and/or the light
properties. Future lines in this field rely on the design of constructs and schemes
able to generate work more efficiently and implement new functions and devices of
interests in photonic, energy, and biomedical applications.
Despite the long-term research carried out in this field, the combination of
photoresponsive azobenzene chromophores and LCPs keeps continuously bringing
new fundamental questions and phenomena and opening a manifold new opportunities in very diverse application fields such as photonics, biomedicine, and energy.
References
Andruzzi L, Altomare A, Ciardelli F, Solaro R, Hvilsted S, Ramanujam PS (1999) Holographic
gratings in azobenzene side-chain polymethacrylates. Macromolecules 32:448–454
Bamfield P, Hutchings MG (2010) Chromic phenomena: technological applications of colour
chemistry. The Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge
Bieringer T, Wuttke R, Haarer D, Geßner U, Rübner J (1995) Relaxation of holographic gratings in
liquid-crystalline side chain polymers with azo chromophores. Macromol Chem Phys
196:1375–1390
Berges C, Gimeno N, Oriol L, Piñol M, Forcén P, Sánchez C, Alcalá R (2012) Photoinduced optical
anisotropy in azobenzene containing block copolymer–homopolymer blends. Influence of
microstructure and molecular weight. Eur Polym J 48:613–620
Berges C, Javakhishvili I, Hvilsted S, Sánchez-Somolinos C, Alcalá R (2013) Holographic storage
and multiplexing in azopolyester blends using low energy pulses down to 2 ms. Appl Phys Lett
102:193303
Blasco E, Piñol M, Berges C, Sánchez-Somolinos C, Oriol L (2014) Smart polymers for optical data
storage. In: Aguilar MR, San Román JS (eds) Smart polymers and their applications. Elsevier,
Cambridge, pp 510–548
Broer DJ, Boven J, Mol GN, Challa G (1989) In-situ photopolymerization of oriented liquidcrystalline acrylates, 3. Oriented polymer networks from a mesogenic diacrylate. Makromol
Chem 190:2255–2268
Camacho-López M, Finkelmann H, Palffy-Muhoray P, Shelley M (2004) Fast liquid-crystal
elastomer swims into the dark. Nat Mater 3:307–310
Cviklinski J, Tajbakhsh AR, Terentjev EM (2002) UV isomerisation in nematic elastomers as a
route to photo-mechanical transducer. Eur Phys J E 9:427–434
de Haan LT, Sánchez-Somolinos C, Bastiaansen CMW, Schenning APHJ, Broer DJ (2012)
Engineering of complex order and the macroscopic deformation of liquid crystal polymer
networks. Angew Chem Int Ed 51:12469–12472
de Haan LT, Schenning APHJ, Broer DJ (2014) Programmed morphing of liquid crystal networks.
Polymer 55:5885–5896
Eich M, Wendorff JH, Reck B, Ringsdorf H (1987) Reversible digital and holographic optical
storage in polymeric liquid crystals. Makromol Chem Rapid Commun 8:59–63
Eisenbach CD (1980) Isomerization of aromatic azo chromophores in poly(ethyl acrylate) networks
and photomechanical effect. Polymer 21:1175–1179
Ercole F, Davis TP, Evans RA (2010) Photo-responsive systems and biomaterials: photochromic
polymers, light-triggered self-assembly, surface modification, fluorescence modulation and
beyond. Polym Chem 1:37–54
Finkelmann H, Nishikawa E, Pereira GG, Warner M (2001) A new opto-mechanical effect in solids.
Phys Rev Lett 87:015501–015504
Fleischmann EK, Zentel R (2013) Liquid-crystalline ordering as a concept in materials science:
from semiconductors to stimuli-responsive devices. Angew Chem Int Ed 52:8810–8827
16 Light-Sensitive Azobenzene-Containing Liquid Crystalline Polymers
475
properties. Future lines in this field rely on the design of constructs and schemes
able to generate work more efficiently and implement new functions and devices of
interests in photonic, energy, and biomedical applications.
Despite the long-term research carried out in this field, the combination of
photoresponsive azobenzene chromophores and LCPs keeps continuously bringing
new fundamental questions and phenomena and opening a manifold new opportunities in very diverse application fields such as photonics, biomedicine, and energy.
References
Andruzzi L, Altomare A, Ciardelli F, Solaro R, Hvilsted S, Ramanujam PS (1999) Holographic
gratings in azobenzene side-chain polymethacrylates. Macromolecules 32:448–454
Bamfield P, Hutchings MG (2010) Chromic phenomena: technological applications of colour
chemistry. The Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge
Bieringer T, Wuttke R, Haarer D, Geßner U, Rübner J (1995) Relaxation of holographic gratings in
liquid-crystalline side chain polymers with azo chromophores. Macromol Chem Phys
196:1375–1390
Berges C, Gimeno N, Oriol L, Piñol M, Forcén P, Sánchez C, Alcalá R (2012) Photoinduced optical
anisotropy in azobenzene containing block copolymer–homopolymer blends. Influence of
microstructure and molecular weight. Eur Polym J 48:613–620
Berges C, Javakhishvili I, Hvilsted S, Sánchez-Somolinos C, Alcalá R (2013) Holographic storage
and multiplexing in azopolyester blends using low energy pulses down to 2 ms. Appl Phys Lett
102:193303
Blasco E, Piñol M, Berges C, Sánchez-Somolinos C, Oriol L (2014) Smart polymers for optical data
storage. In: Aguilar MR, San Román JS (eds) Smart polymers and their applications. Elsevier,
Cambridge, pp 510–548
Broer DJ, Boven J, Mol GN, Challa G (1989) In-situ photopolymerization of oriented liquidcrystalline acrylates, 3. Oriented polymer networks from a mesogenic diacrylate. Makromol
Chem 190:2255–2268
Camacho-López M, Finkelmann H, Palffy-Muhoray P, Shelley M (2004) Fast liquid-crystal
elastomer swims into the dark. Nat Mater 3:307–310
Cviklinski J, Tajbakhsh AR, Terentjev EM (2002) UV isomerisation in nematic elastomers as a
route to photo-mechanical transducer. Eur Phys J E 9:427–434
de Haan LT, Sánchez-Somolinos C, Bastiaansen CMW, Schenning APHJ, Broer DJ (2012)
Engineering of complex order and the macroscopic deformation of liquid crystal polymer
networks. Angew Chem Int Ed 51:12469–12472
de Haan LT, Schenning APHJ, Broer DJ (2014) Programmed morphing of liquid crystal networks.
Polymer 55:5885–5896
Eich M, Wendorff JH, Reck B, Ringsdorf H (1987) Reversible digital and holographic optical
storage in polymeric liquid crystals. Makromol Chem Rapid Commun 8:59–63
Eisenbach CD (1980) Isomerization of aromatic azo chromophores in poly(ethyl acrylate) networks
and photomechanical effect. Polymer 21:1175–1179
Ercole F, Davis TP, Evans RA (2010) Photo-responsive systems and biomaterials: photochromic
polymers, light-triggered self-assembly, surface modification, fluorescence modulation and
beyond. Polym Chem 1:37–54
Finkelmann H, Nishikawa E, Pereira GG, Warner M (2001) A new opto-mechanical effect in solids.
Phys Rev Lett 87:015501–015504
Fleischmann EK, Zentel R (2013) Liquid-crystalline ordering as a concept in materials science:
from semiconductors to stimuli-responsive devices. Angew Chem Int Ed 52:8810–8827
16 Light-Sensitive Azobenzene-Containing Liquid Crystalline Polymers
475