Photoisomerization and Photo-induced Optical Anisotropy of Polymethacrylate Containing Aminonitroazobenzene

Photoresponsive side chain copolymer and homopolymer containing an aminonitroazobenzene were synthesized for studying photoisomerization behavior and photo-induced anisotropy. Trans-to-cis photoisomerization was observed under the exposure of a circularly polarized visible light with UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy. Reorientation of polar azobenzene molecules induced optical anisotropy under a linearly polarized light at 532nm. Polarized absorption spectroscopy was employed to investigate the anisotropy of the polymer film during irradiationg of the excitation light. Layers of two photosensitive polymers were used for aligning liquid crystal(LC) molecules instead of one of the rubbed polyimide layers in the conventional twisted nematic cell. For producing homogeneous alignment of a nematic LC molecule, a linearly polarized light was exposed to the films of two polymers. The stability of the LC alignment upon the linearly polarized light exposure was also studied.