Photoviscosity Effect of Polymer Solutions

Poly(methyl methacrylate) and poly(methacrylic acid) having spirobenzopyran in the side groups and polyamide having azobenzene in the main chain were synthesized in attempting to construct photoresponsive polymer systems, the conformation of which can be photoregulated. The solution viscosity in benzene of poly(methyl methacrylate) containing spirobenzopyran groups (9 mole% in base unit) during irradiation was found to be 12% lower than the viscosity in the dark. The viscosity is restored to the initial value in less than 3 min in the dark after cutting off the light. A study of the solvent effect and a spectroscopic study have verified that the photoviscosity effect is due to the self-solvation of the ester side groups to the photo-produced merocyanines. Photoregulation of the polymer conformation was also achieved in methanol for poly(methacrylic acid) having spirobenzopyran and in dimethylacetamide for a polyamide having azobenzene in the main chain.