Photoactive polyimides containing azobenzene pendent groups

Azobenzene functionalised polymers are interesting and potentially useful materials for optical devices applications. The photoanisotropic azobenzene molecules upon irradiation with polarized light show photoinduced reorientation through the trans-cis-trans photoisomerisation cycles. A study concerning the surface structuration capacity of the polyimides described here was performed and the results obtained using Nd:YAG laser at 355 nm, at a incident fluence of 35mJ/cm² are presented. The best results were obtained for 5 laser pulses, an increase of the pulse numbers leading to the diminution of the relief definition.