Strategies to control linear anisotropy and chirality in polymeric materials:from the basic issues to the micro-devices developments

Abstract

The development of devices with increasing levels of functionality represents an important technological issue. To this aim, innovative materials with tunable functionalities play a crucial role. The challenge is to obtain multifunctional materials through simple procedures with high performance and low cost, and eventually external control parameters. Moreover the understanding of multifunctionality of materials is hence an exciting scientific opportunity. For these purpose, the main objectives of the present work have been to explore two main strategies. In the first one, azobenzene based materials and their light induced functionalities has been exploited to develop microdevices for polarimetric applications. Already know effects of linear and circular photoinduced optical anisotropies in azobenzene based polymers was investigated coupling the materials properties with holographic techniques, both to characterize the photoinduced properties of the materials and to develop diffractive devices useful for the above cited applications. The second topic is addressed towards the development of a materials science approach to build up polymeric matrices with controllable supramolecular chiral structures and subnanometric cavities. Both explored features are connected to intriguing topics as chirality and small size cavities. Their chirooptical properties and supramolecular structures suggest high potentiality for development of chiral sensors or filtration devices. Key words: micro-devices, azo-polymers, polarization holography, syndiotactic polystyrene, supramolecular chirality.