Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Light-driven polymer films

thefips - 1-12-2008 at 15:52

Hi,

I just read something very interesting about light-driven polymer films:

http://www.rsc.org/Publishing/ChemScience/Volume/2009/01/Pol...

Has anyone an idea how the exact structure of that polymer looks like?
In the text it says:
"The polymers respond to light because they have azobenzene groups - which contain N=N double bonds - incorporated into them. Under visible light the N=N bonds have a cis conformation which means the polymer is bent. But when the light source is changed to UV the bonds become trans and the polymer flattens."

And can someone imagine how to make such a polymer film? I think it must have two laminated layers, just like bi-metallic strips. One of them has to be the polymer with the azobenzene groups, the other is probably only flexible that the strip bends on light exposure.

not_important - 1-12-2008 at 22:55

Quote:
Originally posted by thefips
...
Has anyone an idea how the exact structure of that polymer looks like?

Right in the areticle there is a place that says

Link to journal article
Photomobile polymer materials—various three-dimensional movements

Go there, use the free view of the HTML format to read the report, which includes structures and all that
Quote:
..
And can someone imagine how to make such a polymer film? I think it must have two laminated layers, just like bi-metallic strips. One of them has to be the polymer with the azobenzene groups, the other is probably only flexible that the strip bends on light exposure.


Again, right in the article you linked to it says exactly that, although the report shows three layers, the adhesive being the 3rd.

You might slow down a bit when reading, or ask for a refund from the speed reading course.

thefips - 2-12-2008 at 13:57

OMG, sorry.... I just did not notice that link to the journal article. I think I was so fascinated by the videos.

But I think it ist nevertheless an interesting thing to read about.

Panache - 16-12-2008 at 15:56

Quote:
Originally posted by not_important

You might slow down a bit when reading, or ask for a refund from the speed reading course.


Now thats funny!!

The technology is not really that amazing its more that someone has spent an incredible amount of time designing the laminates; fiddly and finicky work. I also didn't read the text only watched the videos, however have some background in polymer films i would be interested in the reproducability, repeatability and the longevity of the films and its actions. Good start though i guess. Hopefully one day when the sun comes up in the morning this polymer laminate, laminated onto my curtains, will drawn them for me, as pulling that cord is always so arduous.

BTW thanks for posting the link its very interesting.

[Edited on 16-12-2008 by Panache]