Photoinduced properties of liquid crystalline azobenzene polymer in Langmuir-Blodgett films investigated by surface plasmon resonance

A novel phenomenon of photoisomerization-induced switch properties in liquid crystalline azobenzene polymer poly{2-hydroethylmethacrylate}-co-{{6-[4-(s-2-methyl-1-bufyloxycarbonylphenylazo)phenoxy]hexylmethacrylate}} Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) monolayers is reported. These monolayers were deposited on gold him and irradiated with UV (360 nm) and blue (450 nm) light. The switching properties were investigated by the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technique. It has been shown that it is possible to switch the refractive index reversibly by irradiating these films with light of appropriate wavelength. Evidence shows that the surface pressure has an influence on the evolution of the resonance angle. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.