Advanced Materials, Vol.12, No.22, 1675-1675, 2000
Surface relief gratings in host-guest supramolecular materials
Surface relief gratings are one of the most promising applications for azobenzene-containing polymers (azo-polymers). Systems investigated to date have contained single-component ate-polymers. The introduction of a liquid-crystal molecule to the system, presented here, gives rise to a striking enhancement of surface relief grating formation, due to the strong molecular cooperativity and increased fluidity.