Light-triggered thermal conductivity switching in azobenzene polymers.

ABSTRACT: Materials that can be switched between low and high thermal conductivity states would advance the control and conversion of thermal energy. Employing in situ time-domain thermoreflectance (TDTR) and in situ synchrotron X-ray scattering, we report a reversible, light-responsive azobenzene polymer that switches between high (0.35 W m^-1 K^-1) and low thermal conductivity (0.10 W m^-1 K^-1) states. This threefold change in the thermal conductivity is achieved by modulation of chain alignment resulted from the conformational transition between planar (trans) and nonplanar (cis) azobenzene groups under UV and green light illumination. This conformational transition leads to changes in the π-π stacking geometry and drives the crystal-to-liqui

SUBMITTER: Shin J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6442584 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature