Photoactuation: novel MEMS-based constructs and applications of azobenzene

摘要

The conversion of light energy into mechanical energy for directed photoactuation is a goal that has been pursued for decades. This work has led to azobenzene liquid-crystal polymers (LCPs), which demonstrate photo-activated bending when irradiated with UV or blue-green light. This intriguing phenomenon has potential to significantly impact the fields of Lab-on-a-Chip, MEMS and soft robotics, but the jump into practical application requires precise fabrication of azobenzene-based structures capable of being leveraged into useful and efficient photomechanical work. Three such configurations have been designed to this end: azobenzene films patterned by soft lithography, azobenzene nanofibers and azobenzene nanobeads.