• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.20 no.12
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• pp.1464-1468
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• 1999

Non-activated indolinobenzospiropyrans, 6-(p-substituted phenylazo)-1',3',3'-trimethylspiroindolinobenzopyrans(1-4) have been synthesized by the reaction of commercially available Fischer's base with 2-hydroxy-5-arylazobenzaldehyde (S1-S4). The arylazosalicylaldehydes were obtained from the diazocoupling reaction of substituted anilines with salicylaldehyde. The rate of spiro-ring formation from the open form of these nonactivated spiropyran derivatives at room temperature has been investigated utilizing the stopped-flow method de-veloped earlier. Half life times $(t_{1/2})$ of the ring-closure reaction in ethanol are about 0.3-14 seconds for the nonactivated spiropyrans examined. UV-Visible absorption spectral data of the open merocyanine form of nonactivated spiropyrans, which showed no chromotropism at room temperature, have also been obtained.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.282-291
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• 2012

Control of shape/volume, mechanical, optical, electrical, and chemical switching of materials by external stimuli such as light, temperature, pH, electric field, and pressure has attracted great attention. Among these materials, photo-responsive materials containing photochromic compounds such as azobenzene, spiropyran, and cinnamic acid groups have been the subject of intense interest in recent years. In this review, we describe the recent progress in the area of azobenzene containing polymer materials that can convert light energy into mechanical energy directly. Especially we focus our attention on light-driven actuators such as artificial muscle, motor, and valve. We summarize the photomechanical effects in liquid crystal elastomer, amorphous polymer, monolayer, and supramolecules containing azobenzene, respectively.