RUI: Photoinduced Gliding of Azo Dye-Doped Nematics on Polymer Surfaces

阿勒格尼学院的大卫·斯塔特曼教授得到化学系分析和表面化学项目的支持，研究偶氮染料、向列相液晶和聚合物表面之间的相互作用，这些相互作用导致表面导向器滑动，并影响整体重定向。将使用各种泵浦-探测技术来测量光致重定向和表面滑动。我们的目标是加强我们对染料的光激发如何促进聚合物表面易轴的重新定向的理解。预计这项研究可能会带来基于液晶材料的新技术。教育活动包括培训阿勒格尼学院的本科生，并让他们接触到匈牙利科学院固态物理和光学研究所的国际研究经验。

"This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)."Professor David Statman of Allegheny College is supported by the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program in the Division of Chemistry to study the interactions between azo dyes, nematic liquid crystals, and polymer surfaces that lead to surface director gliding, and affect bulk reorientation. Photoinduced reorientation and surface gliding will be measured using various pump-probe techniques. The goal is to enhance our understanding of how photoexcitation of the dye facilitates reorientation of the easy axis at polymer surfaces. It is anticipated that this research may lead to new technologies based on liquid crystal materials. The educational activities include training of undergraduate students at Allegheny College, and exposing them to an international research experience at the Research Institute for Solid State Physics and Optics of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.