• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.20 no.9
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• pp.1010-1016
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• 1999

We synthesized the photoresponsive side chain polymers containing aminonitro azobenzene for studying the effect of temperature on photoinduced birefringence. Four different copolymers were prepared using methacrylate, α-methylstyrene, and itaconate monomer. Photoisomerization was observed under the exposure of UV light using UV-VIS absorption spectroscopy. Reorientation of polar azobenzene molecules induced optical anisotropy under a linearly polarized light at 532 nm. The change of the birefringence was observed with increasing the sample temperature under a continuous irradiation of excitation light. We could estimate the activation energy of molecular motion in thermal and photochemical mode. Besides the effect of glass transition temperature on the activation energy, we focused our interests on the effect of geometrical hindrance of polar azobenzene molecules and cooperative motion of environmental mesogenic molecules in the vicinity of polar azobenzene molecules.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.20 no.10
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• pp.1186-1194
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• 1999

Photoresponsive side chain polymers containing aminonitro azobenzene were synthesized for studying optically induced birefringence. Four different copolymers were prepared using methacrylate, a-methylstyrene, and itaconate monomer. Two copolymers are totally amorphous and the other two are liquid crystalline in nature. Trans-to-cis photoisomerization was observed under the exposure of UV light with UV-VIS absorption spectroscopy. Reorientation of polar azobenzene molecules induced optical anisotropy under a linearly polarized light at 532 nm. The dynamic parameters of optically induced birefringence let us compare the effect of polymeric structure on the rate of growth and decay of the birefringence. Besides the effect of glass transition temperature on the dynamics of photoinduced birefringence, we focused our interests on the geometrical hindrance of polar azobenzene molecules and cooperative motion of environmental mesogenic molecules in the vicinity of polar azobenzene moiety.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.21 no.12
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• pp.1222-1226
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• 2000

We synthesized the simple triethoxysilanes (SGDR1) bearing a disperse red 1 for thin film fabrication. The thin films were prepared using the solution of SGDR1 after hydrolysis and condensation. The films were annealed at two different temperatures such as $150^{\circ}C$ and $200^{\circ}C$. Trans-to-cis photoisomerization was observed under the exposure of 532 nm light with UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy. The kinetic study of photoisomerization was performed in the film. Reorientation of the polar azobenzene molecules induced optical anisotropy under a linearly polarized light at 532 nm. The effect of aggregation of the chromophores and annealing of the silicon oxide in the matrix were studied on the dynamic properties of isomerization and induced birefringence.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.20 no.12
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• pp.1421-1427
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• 1999

4-Hydroxy-4'-methoxyazobenzene and 4-hydroxy-4'-cyanoazobenzene were synthesized from phenol with p-anisidine and p-aminobenzonitrile through a diazotization reaction, respectively. They were reacted with 2-chloroethanol, 2-(2-chloroethoxy)ethanol, or 2-[2-(2-chloroethoxy)ethoxy]ethanol to produce six kinds of new mesogenic alcohols having an azobenzene group that is sensitive to the ultraviolet. Twelve kinds of new photoresponsive monomers with two symmetrical mesogens were prepared by the reaction of the mesogenic alcohols with fumaric acid or maleic acid through a Mitsunobu reaction. The resulting monomers have different length of flexible ethyleneoxy spacer tethered to azobenzene group. The length of the spacer affected their thermal stability, solubility, and phase transition temperature. Structures of the monomers were identified by FT-IR and ¹H-NMR spectra. Their phase transition temperatures and thermal stability were also investigated by a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and a thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). From an optical polarizing microscopy, all the prepared monomers except fumarate-1 and maleate-1 were found to show enantiotropic liquid crystallinity with a smectic texture like focal-conic, fan-shaped, and batonnet textures.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.253-261
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• 2007

Light is a synchronizing stimulus to regulate the circadian rhythms and neuroendocrine activities in both humans and animals. The retinohypothalamic tract is involved in the day/night cycle and neuroendocrine activities. In particular, melatonin secretion has been known to be affected by light and correlated with many aspects of health problems. This review introduces the role of the light in the biological rhythm and neuroendocrine activities, its relationship with health problems, and the characteristics of retinohypothalamic tract.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.386-390
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• 1999

Erasable polarization holographic grating was recorded with two-wave mixing in PCN which was side-chain liquid crystalline polymalonic esters containing two symmetrical 4-cyanoazobenzene as photoresponsive groups. The diffraction efficiency of recorded grating was measured and the characteristics of recording, decay in a dark room and erasing by circularly polarized light were investigated. As the results, birefringence, $\Delta$n of PCN was measured $6.5{\times}10^{-2}$, which was 0~100 times higher than those of crystals such as Fe:$LiNbO_3$, Ce:$BaTiO_3$ crystals. Dark decay rates was $4.3{\times}10^{-5}$ %/hour, which showed the possibility of application as data storage media.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.416-422
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• 2009

4-(6-bromohexyloxy)benzoic acid was synthesized from benzyl 4-Hydroxybenzoate and 1,6-dibromohexane. It was reacted with hydroquinone to obtain a new mesogenic ester having an bromine group. One kind of new photoresponsive coumarin compound was prepared by the reaction of mesogenic ester with coumarin sensitive to the ultraviolet. Structures of the compound were identified by FT-IR and $^1H$-NMR spectroscopies. Their phase transition temperatures and thermal stability were also investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarized optical microscopy (POM) and x-ray diffraction analysis. From optical polarizing microscopy, the prepared compound was found to show enantiotropic liquid crystallinity with smectic and nematic textures.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.83-87
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• 2015

This study was focused on developing an optical sensor that monitors ultraviolet (UV) light. Recently, we proposed and demonstrated a novel, highly sensitive UV sensor based on a fiber Bragg grating (FBG). To ensure that the incident UV light is focused on the FBG surface, the sensor was coated with an azobenzene polymer material that acts as a UV-induced stretchable functional material, in combination with a cylindrical focal lens. In this study we have improved the sensitivity of the sensor by employing a cylindrical focal mirror as a curved reflector, to refocus the UV light passing through the FBG. We considered the performance of several different types of reflectors and chose the optimal radius of curvature for the reflector. Compared to the UV sensor without an auxiliary device, the sensitivity of the FBG sensor with a focal lens and a curved reflector was 15 times as high.