Light‐Responsive Polyblend Films with Reconfigurable Surface Micropatterns as Rewritable Information Storage Media

Abstract

Comprehensive SummaryStimulus‐sensitive surfaces with tunable morphologies exhibit a wide range of applications in the fields of surface science and engineering. Herein, a cost‐effective yet practical strategy is proposed to fabricate photo‐sensitive patterning surface on film/substrate wrinkle system based on an azo‐containing polyblend. By manipulating the stress field of the bilayer system globally and/or locally upon the stress relaxation triggered by the reversible cis‐trans isomerization of the azobenzene, heating/cooling triggered surface wrinkles on the polyblend films could be tailor‐made with visible‐light‐irradiation. Notably, upon selective photo‐irradiation, bespoke surface patterns may be cyclically generated or eliminated, allowing these reconfigurable patterned polyblend surfaces to be used as rewritable information storage media for non‐ink printing. The as‐prepared photo‐printed information patterns with high‐resolution are shown to be rewritable for multiple cycles and legible for over 90 d in dark ambient conditions. This study not only provides a versatile strategy for flourishing the stimulus‐sensitive systems, but also sheds light on the stress relaxation‐triggered morphological evolution of the wrinkling polyblend films.