Photoswitchable polymers via initiated chemical vapor deposition

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Rainer Herges; Dr.-Ing. Stefan Schröder
• Subject Area: Polymer Materials ; Synthesis and Properties of Functional Materials
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 541212717

The aim of the project is the preparation and investigation of photoresponsive polymers. By incorporating diazocins as photoswitches into the polymer structure, these materials respond to irradiation with light. The concerted, molecular motion of the photoswitches results in macroscopic motion of the material. The materials are fabricated by initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD), which enables the spatially controllable incorporation of the photoswitches. This allows the production of switchable films with tailored properties, whereby even more complicated motion sequences can be pre-programmed in the material (soft robotics). Due to the CVD-typical film growth of iCVD, even complex surfaces can be conformally coated. In this context, free-standing, switchable framework structures are also envisaged, which, due to their low density and yet stable and elastic structure, should allow more efficient force transmission as well as faster movements of the materials compared to, for example, responsive hydrogels. While photoresponsive films have already been used to realize caterpillar-like movement via irradiation, the ultralight, free-standing iCVD films as well as scaffold materials made out of iCVD films could eventually be used as the basis for light-powered and light-controlled objects capable of flight.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Professor Dr. Franz Faupel