Photochemical Control of Switching Behaviors of Ferroelectric Polymer Liquid Crystals: Poly(2-methylbutyl 4′-(10-acryloyloxydecyloxy)-biphenyl-4-carboxylate)

Switching behaviors of ferroelectric polymer liquid crystal (FPLC), poly(2-methylbutyl 4′-(10-acryloyloxydecyloxy) biphenyl-4-carboxylate), were successfully modulated reversibly by photochemical reaction of photochromic guests (azobenzene derivatives) doped in the FPLC. Chiral azobenzene (ABchi) possessing the same structure as the host FPLC at the chiral part was found to enhance the transmitted light intensity through a pair of crossed polarizers on the trans to cis photoisomerization, while the other achiral azobenzene derivatives reduced the transmitted light intensity on photoisomerization. This difference in photoresponsiveness has been attributed to the different effect of the trans-cis photoisomerization on the host mesogens, the change in molecular shape for the achiral azobenzenes and the change in dipole moment for ABchi.