Photoalignment and Surface-Relief-Grating Formation are Efficiently Combined in Low-Molecular-Weight Halogen-Bonded Complexes

Arri Priimägi, Marco Saccone, Gabriella Cavallo, Atsushi Shishido, Tullio Pilati, Pierangelo Metrangolo, Giuseppe Resnati

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

    106 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    It is demonstrated that halogen bonding can be used to construct low-molecular-weight supramolecular complexes with unique light-responsive properties. In particular, halogen bonding drives the formation of a photoresponsive liquid-crystalline complex between a non-mesogenic halogen bond-donor molecule incorporating an azo group, and a non-mesogenic alkoxystilbazole moiety, acting as a halogen bond-acceptor. Upon irradiation with polarized light, the complex exhibits a high degree of photoinduced anisotropy (order parameter of molecular alignment >0.5). Moreover, efficient photoinduced surface-relief-grating (SRG) formation occurs upon irradiation with a light interference pattern, with a surface-modulation depth 2.4 times the initial film thickness. This is the first report on a halogen-bonded photoresponsive low-molecular-weight complex, which furthermore combines a high degree of photoalignment and extremely efficient SRG formation in a unique way. This study highlights the potential of halogen bonding as a new tool for the rational design of high-performance photoresponsive suprastructures.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)OP345-OP352
    Number of pages8
    JournalAdvanced Materials
    Volume24
    Issue number44
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 20 Nov 2012
    Publication typeA1 Journal article-refereed

    Keywords

    • LIQUID-CRYSTALLINE POLYMERS
    • DIRECTIONAL PHOTOFLUIDIZATION LITHOGRAPHY
    • AZOBENZENE MATERIALS
    • SUPRAMOLECULAR MATERIALS
    • BLOCK-COPOLYMER
    • AZO POLYMER
    • HYDROGEN
    • FILMS
    • PHOTOORIENTATION
    • MOTIONS

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