Effect of a chiral substituent on the photochromic and photoconductive properties of a methacrylic polymer bearing side chain azocarbazole moieties

•The multicomponent polymer displays the properties typical of the all functional groups.•Photoisomerization processes with relevant reversibility have been demonstrated.•Possible application in chiroptical switching.

A novel multicomponent polymer poly[(S)-ML-PPCA], bearing three distinct functional groups (i.e. azoaromatic, carbazole and chiral of one single configuration) jointly linked to the side chain has been synthesized and its properties compared to those of a similar derivative poly[M-PPCA], lacking of the chiral moiety, as far as photochromism and photoconductivity are concerned.Due to the presence of the chiral moiety, poly[(S)-ML-PPCA], besides higher optical activity than the related monomer, displays additional chiroptical properties with respect to poly[M-PPCA], allowing in particular the assessment of its photoresponsive properties connected to the trans-cis isomerization of the azoaromatic double bond by circular dichroism measurements and giving therefore the possibility of application as chiroptical switch too.

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