Abstract:

Azobenzene-containing block copolymers can self-assemble into a variety of supramolecular structures with unique photoresponsive properties，which can be potentially used in many fields such as information storage，sensors，drug delivery，and smart nano/micro-materials. This paper reviews the study of the synthesis，self-assembly and photoresponsive properties of block copolymers bearing strong push-pull azo chromophores，which has recently been carried out in authors’ laboratory.