Opens the door to promising new light-enabled

smart materials and their applications

Examining the most promising developments, this contributed work reviews smart light-responsive materials based on azobenzene polymers and liquid crystals. The book explores the underlying mechanisms of azobenzene polymers and liquid crystals, highlighting new functionalities and properties that have been realized through rational design. Moreover, the book provides insight into new and emerging light-enabled smart materials and their applications, particularly in the fields of photonics and optics.

Edited by two leading authorities in the field, this book features an internationally recognized team of expert authors. Contributions are based on the authors' firsthand experience in the lab as well as their thorough investigation of the literature. Highlights of coverage include:

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Photo-induced phenomena in supramolecular azobenzene materials
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Amorphous azobenzene polymers for light-induced surface patterning
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Light-responsive 2-D motions and manipulations in azobenzene-containing liquid crystalline polymer materials
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Photo-tuning of the helical structure of cholesteric liquid crystals
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Azobenzene block copolymers in the solid state

Among the materials covered are light-bendable elastomers, light-dissociable polymer micelles, light-controllable emulsions, liquid crystal/polymer composites, and colloids.

Smart Light-Responsive Materials not only presents the state of the technology, it also serves as a catalyst for the development of new light-enabled materials and applications. In addition to benefiting researchers who work on azobenzene polymers and liquid crystals, the book is also recommended for any researcher involved in developing light-responsive materials as many of the strategies from the book can be adapted to other chromopho