Photoinduced Alignment of Polymer Liquid Crystals Containing Azobenzene Moieties in the Side Chain. 3. Effect of Structure of Photochromic Moieties on Alignment Behavior

Photoinduced alignment behavior in a series of polymer liquid crystals containing different azobenzene moieties in the side chain was investigated. With increase of the strength of donor and acceptor at 4 and 4‘ positions of the azobenzene groups, the possibility of an alignment change in the polymer liquid crystals having the same methacrylic backbone decreased due to the slightly increased enthalpic stability of the mesophase and the significantly decreased concentration of cis -azobenzene, although the cis−trans isomerization rate increased. However, a high alignment efficiency was observed in polymer liquid crystal ACB-ABA6, which contained strong donor−acceptor pairs in the azobenzene moiety and exhibited low stability of mesophase, since both the rate of cis−trans isomerization and the mobility of mesogens are favorable for alignment change. Three different relaxation processes were observed in the aligned polymer liquid crystals.