Fabrication and photoresponse of supramolecular liquid-crystalline microparticles.

Supramolecular liquid-crystalline polymer microparticles were fabricated by combining a simple phase reversion method with hydrogen-bonding formation between an azopyridyl polymer and a series of dicarboxylic acid compounds. Their surface morphologies and phase behaviors were studied by changing the molecular length of the diacids, and then their photoresponsive behaviors were observed upon UV irradiation. Photoinduced deformation occurred for the supramolecularly assembled microparticles showing LC phases, whereas no changes in morphologies were observed for microparticles exhibiting amorphous or crystalline. The photoinduced LC-to-isotropic phase transition were responsible for the light-responsive behaviors of the supramolecular liquid-crystalline microparticles.