From nanoscopic to macroscopic photo-driven motion in azobenzene-containing materials
Abstract
The illumination of azobenzene molecules with UV/visible light efficiently converts the molecules between trans and cis isomerization states. Isomerization is accompanied by a large photo‐induced molecular motion, which is able to significantly affect the physical and chemical properties of the materials in which they are incorporated. In some material systems, the nanoscopic structural movement of the isomerizing azobenzene molecules can be even propagated at macroscopic spatial scales. Reversible large‐scale superficial photo‐patterning and mechanical photo‐actuation are efficiently achieved in azobenzene‐containing glassy materials and liquid crystalline elastomers, respectively. This review covers several aspects related to the phenomenology and the applications of the light‐driven macroscopic effects observed in these two classes of azomaterials, highlighting many of the possibilities they offer in different fields of science, like photonics, biology, surface engineering and robotics.
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BibTeX
@article{oscurato2026from,
title = {{From nanoscopic to macroscopic photo-driven motion in azobenzene-containing materials}},
author = {Stefano L. Oscurato and Marcella Salvatore and Pasqualino Maddalena and Antonio Ambrosio},
journal = {Nanophotonics},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1515/nanoph-2018-0040},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05789741v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - From nanoscopic to macroscopic photo-driven motion in azobenzene-containing materials
AU - Stefano L. Oscurato
AU - Marcella Salvatore
AU - Pasqualino Maddalena
AU - Antonio Ambrosio
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/09
JO - Nanophotonics
DO - 10.1515/nanoph-2018-0040
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05789741v1
AB - The illumination of azobenzene molecules with UV/visible light efficiently converts the molecules between trans and cis isomerization states. Isomerization is accompanied by a large photo‐induced molecular motion, which is able to significantly affect the physical and chemical properties of the materials in which they are incorporated. In some material systems, the nanoscopic structural movement of the isomerizing azobenzene molecules can be even propagated at macroscopic spatial scales. Reversible large‐scale superficial photo‐patterning and mechanical photo‐actuation are efficiently achieved in azobenzene‐containing glassy materials and liquid crystalline elastomers, respectively. This review covers several aspects related to the phenomenology and the applications of the light‐driven macroscopic effects observed in these two classes of azomaterials, highlighting many of the possibilities they offer in different fields of science, like photonics, biology, surface engineering and robotics.
SN - 2192-8614
ER -