SELF-ASSEMBLY AND PHOTOINDUCED DEFORMATION OF MICROSPHERES OF AN AZO MOLECULE CONTAINING A 1,4,3,6-DIANHYDROSORBITOL CORE AND CINNAMATE PERIPHERAL GROUPS

Abstract

This study investigated the controllable fabrication of anisotropic particles with different sizes and morphologies via self-assembly and photoinduced deformation of azo colloidal microspheres, which were formed from a typical azo molecular material (IAC-4) that contains a 1,4,3,6-dianhydrosorbitol core and the cinnamate peripheral groups. Firstly, azo colloidal microspheres were obtained by self-assembly via gradually adding deionized water into IAC-4 solution of tetrahydrofuran. For precisely controlling the length of short axis of anisotropic particles, IAC-4 colloidal microspheres with different and uniform sizes were obtained by adjusting the IAC-4 concentration, adding rate of water and stirring rate. The size of colloidal microspheres becomes smaller with the increase in IAC-4 concentration, the adding rate of water and the stirring rate. Finally, IAC-4 colloidal microspheres in the solid state, perpendicularly irradiated by the linearly polarized laser beam (λ = 488 nm), were irreversibly and controllably stretched into anisotropic particles with the different morphologies, length of long axis and axial ratio via adjusting the irradiation time and the power of laser beam.