PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

New chemistry: Drawing and writing in liquid with light

2013-11-04
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Szymon Wiktorowicz
szymon.wiktorowicz@helsinki.fi
University of Helsinki
New chemistry: Drawing and writing in liquid with light University of Helsinki researchers have manufactured photochemically active polymers which can be dissolved in water or certain alcohols. The new soluble, photosensitive polymer was created by doctoral student Szymon Wiktorowicz.

In the study, a 365-nm laser was aimed at a solution into which the polymer was partially dissolved. When exposed to light, the polymer switched to its cis conformation, dissolving completely and leaving a clear form which was visible in the cloudy solution.

The polymer chain created by Wiktorowicz includes azo compounds which can be switched from a trans conformation to a cis conformation using light. As the two conformations are different in solubility, a ray of light can "draw" in an ethanol-based dispersion of the polymer. The switch from trans to cis happens in the entire polymer chain.

This effect where light causes the polymer to dissolve completely and be made visible can last several hours depending, for example, on the concentration of the solution.

Light-sensitive polymers are nothing new to chemists. Light has been used for drawing on a solid surface, such as a TV screen or an LCD monitor, but drawing in liquid has so far been impossible.

This discovery is particularly significant for the development of new materials for optics and electronics.

### Reference: Macromolecules 2013, 46 (15), pp. 6209, Using Light To Tune Thermo-Responsive Behavior and Host–Guest Interactions in Tegylated Poly(azocalix[4]arene)s, DOI:10.1021/ma4011457

The research project was financially fully supported by the Academy of Finland.

Further information:

http://www.helsinki.fi/polymeerikemia/research/calixarenes_2013.html, including a link to the video: Video: Photo-assisted writing application on ethanol solution of tegylated poly(azocalix[4]arene)s. Credit Szymon Wiktorowicz.

More information is available from Szymon Wiktorowicz, szymon.wiktorowicz@helsinki.fi, tel. +358 9 191 50329 and Vladimir Aseyev, vladimir.aseyev@helsinki.fi, tel. +358 9 191 50333.

Minna Meriläinen-Tenhu, PR & Press Officer, minna.merilainen@helsinki.fi, tel. +358 50 415 0316

Drawing in liquid with light: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5kLCAE7xcA&feature=youtu.be


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Population Council to present more than 40 studies at International Conference on Family Planning

2013-11-04
Population Council to present more than 40 studies at International Conference on Family Planning Research will highlight development of new contraceptive technologies, strategies for expanding access to family planning, and efforts to promote gender equity NEW YORK ...

Global change: Stowaways threaten fisheries in the Arctic

2013-11-04
Global change: Stowaways threaten fisheries in the Arctic New study predicts a sixfold increase in the number of potential invaders by 2100 Just think of the warty comb jelly or sea walnut, as it is also known. It has caused tremendous damage to fisheries in the Black Sea ...

Mutations linked to breast cancer treatment resistance

2013-11-04
Mutations linked to breast cancer treatment resistance Gene sequencing reveals mutations in estrogen receptor ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center have identified a type of mutation that develops ...

Ibuprofen no good in treating colds or sore throats

2013-11-04
Ibuprofen no good in treating colds or sore throats Questions have been raised about the advice given to patients with a cold and sore throat, in research published in the British Medical Journal. A study carried out by the University of Southampton showed ...

New computing model could lead to quicker advancements in medical research, according to Virginia Tech

2013-11-04
New computing model could lead to quicker advancements in medical research, according to Virginia Tech With the promise of personalized and customized medicine, one extremely important tool for its success is the knowledge of a person's unique genetic profile. This personalized ...

Is it safe to drive with my arm in a cast?

2013-11-04
Is it safe to drive with my arm in a cast? Authors of article on dangers, considerations for driving WHO: Orthopaedic surgeons Geoffrey S. Marecek, MD, and Michael F. Schafer, MD, co-authors of a new literature review outlining the potential limitations and necessary ...

NASA video shows birth and death of Tropical Storm Sonia

2013-11-04
NASA video shows birth and death of Tropical Storm Sonia

Designer piercings: New membrane pores with DNA nanotechnology

2013-11-04
Designer piercings: New membrane pores with DNA nanotechnology A new way to build membrane-crossing pores, using Lego-like DNA building blocks, has been developed by scientists at UCL, in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Cambridge and the University ...

NASA saw heavy rain in Typhoon Krosa before it hit wind shear

2013-11-04
NASA saw heavy rain in Typhoon Krosa before it hit wind shear NASA's TRMM Satellite observed heavy rainfall occurring in Typhoon Krosa before it ran into strong wind shear. On Nov. 1, Krosa was a Typhoon that was threatening Hainan Island, China and Vietnam. By Nov. ...

Will the Nagoya Protocol impact your synthetic biology research?

2013-11-04
Will the Nagoya Protocol impact your synthetic biology research? New report looks at impact of the convention on biological diversity on research in the United States WASHINGTON – The United ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Cobalt single atom-phosphate functionalized reduced graphene oxide/perylenetetracarboxylic acid nanosheet heterojunctions for efficiently photocatalytic H2O2 production

World-first study shows Australian marsupials contaminated with harmful ‘forever chemicals’

Unlocking the brain’s hidden drainage system

Enhancing smoking cessation treatment for people living with HIV

Research spotlight: Mapping how gut neurons respond to bacteria, parasites and food allergy

Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Experimental Physics Investigators awards to UCSB experimentalists opens the door to new insights and innovations

Meerkats get health benefit from mob membership

COVID-19 during pregnancy linked to higher risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in children

How a chorus of synchronized frequencies helps you digest your food

UAlbany researcher partners on $1.2 million NSF grant to explore tropical monsoon rainfall patterns

Checkup time for Fido? Wait might be longer in the country

Genetic variation impact scores: A new tool for earlier heart disease detection

The Lundquist Institute awarded $9 million to launch Community Center of Excellence for Regenerative Medicine

'Really bizarre and exciting': The quantum oscillations are coming from inside

Is AI becoming selfish?

New molten salt method gives old lithium batteries a second life

Leg, foot amputations increased 65% in Illinois hospitals between 2016-2023

Moffitt studies uncover complementary strategies to overcome resistance to KRAS G12Cinhibitors in lung cancer

National summit of experts charts unprecedented roadmap to reduce harms from firearms in new ways

Global environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys significantly expand known geographic and ecological niche ranges of marine fish, highlighting current biases in conservation and ecological modeling

Hundreds of animal studies on brain damage after stroke flagged for problematic images

Prize winner’s research reveals how complex neural circuits are correctly wired during brain development

Supershear rupture sustained in thick fault zone during 2025 Mandalay earthquake, study in research package shows

Study reveals how brain cell networks stabilize memory formation

CTE: More than just head trauma, suggests new study

New psychology study suggests chimpanzees might be rational thinkers

Study links genetic variants to higher 'bad' cholesterol and heart attack risk

Myanmar fault had ideal geometry to produce 2025 supershear earthquake

Breakthrough in BRCA2 research: a novel mechanism behind chemoresistance discovered

New funding for health economics research on substance use disorder treatments

[Press-News.org] New chemistry: Drawing and writing in liquid with light