Dresden 2011 – scientific programme
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CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik
CPP 14: Elastomers and Gels
CPP 14.4: Talk
Tuesday, March 15, 2011, 11:30–11:45, ZEU 114
Light-induced deformation of azobenzene elastomers: different molecular models — •Vladimir Toshchevikov1,2, Marina Saphiannikova1, and Gert Heinrich1 — 1Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Hohe Str. 6, 01069 Dresden, Germany — 2Institute of Macromolecular Compounds, Bolshoi pr. 31, 199004 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
Light-sensitive elastomers bearing azobenzene chromophores in network strands have a fascinating potential for technical applications (microrobots, micropumps, artificial muscles, smart materials) due to their ability to change the shape under light irradiation. In the present work, we extend the theory [1] devoted to light-induced deformation of amorphous azobenzene polymers consisting of short oligomers to azobenzene elastomers. Different molecular models are used: a regular cubic network model and a general network model with random orientation of end-to-end vectors of network strands. We show that similar to amorphous azobenzene polymers, azobenzene elastomers demonstrate either expansion or contraction with respect to the polarization vector of the light depending on their chemical structure. Increase of the degree of croslinking results in the decrease of the magnitude of the photo-induced deformation at the same light intensity. The results of the theory are compared with experimental data for azobenzene elastomers.
This work was supported by the DFG grant GR 3725/2-1.
[1] V.Toshchevikov, M.Saphiannikova, G.Heinrich. J. Phys. Chem. B 2009, 113, 5032.