Molecular design of azobenzene-containing photoresponsive phase change materials with energy storage and photolithography potentials

Key Words:RELEASE

Abstract:Photoresponsive phase change materials (PPCMs) based on azobenzene are attractive in ious fields. However, small azobenzene molecules-based materials rarely gain photoinduced solid-liquid phase change at room tem-perature, due to the formed high molecular packing density with the absence of sufficient free volume for isomerization. In this study, aiming at developing a new type of PPCMs, two azobenzene-containing ammonium surfactants with bulky head groups are designed and synthesized. The designed bulky head groups could effi-ciently reduce the molecular packing density, facilitating the solid-liquid phase change of such PPCMs under UV light. Via the fabrication of ammonium surfactants with double aliphatic chains for further reducing the mo-lecular packing density, the reported PPCMs gain more complete and faster phase change, which could be used as potential energy storage and photolithography materials. This study provides a new molecular designing strategy for fabricating azobenzene-based PPCMs.

Volume:215

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Translation or Not:no