Miniaturizing a simple photomechanical system could expand its range of applications.
Abstract
Polymer solutions and solids that contain light-sensitive molecules can undergo photo-contraction, whereby light energy is converted into mechanical energy1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8. Here we show that a single film of a liquid-crystal network containing an azobenzene chromophore can be repeatedly and precisely bent along any chosen direction by using linearly polarized light. This striking photomechanical effect results from a photoselective volume contraction and may be useful in the development of high-speed actuators for microscale or nanoscale applications, for example in microrobots in medicine or optical microtweezers.
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Supplementary information
41586_2003_BF425145a_MOESM1_ESM.mov
Supplementary Movie: The polarization direction of 366-nm linearly polarized light (LPL; 3.5 mW/cm2) was set parallel to the long side of the film. When a normal irradiation was performed, the film bent toward the irradiation direction of the incident LPL in 10 s, and the bending direction was along the light polarization. (MOV 1169 kb)
41586_2003_BF425145a_MOESM2_ESM.mov
Supplementary Movie: The polarization direction of 366-nm LPL (3.5 mW/cm2) was anticlockwisely altered by 45 degrees compared with that of LPL in Movie 1, and the bending direction of the film was similarly turned by 45 degrees, still parallel to the light polarization. (MOV 1115 kb)
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Yu, Y., Nakano, M. & Ikeda, T. Directed bending of a polymer film by light. Nature 425, 145 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/425145a
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/425145a
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