Photoinduced alignment of ferroelectric liquid crystals using azobenzene polymer networks of chiral polyacrylates and polymethacrylates

Two chiral dimethacrylate and one chiral diacrylate monomer containing an azobenzene group were synthesized and dissolved in a commercial ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) host. With two of the monomers, thermally induced radical polymerization with the mixture exposed to linearly polarized irradiation results in a bulk alignment of FLC in the direction perpendicular to the polarization of irradiation light as a result of the photoinduced orientation of azobenzene groups related to the trans−cis isomerization. The monomer that is most effective for photoalignment of FLC displays a polymer network formed by strings of colloidal particles (∼250 nm in diameter), which exerts a commanding effect on the alignment of FLC as being able to reorient the FLC by changing the polarization direction of subsequent irradiation. The study suggests that the network of colloidal particles is isotropic and that the photoalignment of azobenzene moieties on the large surface of the network dictates the alignment of FLC.