title: PNIPAM Copolymers Containing Light-Responsive Chromophores: A Method Toward Molecular Logic Gates.
abstract: A series of thermo-responsive PNIPAM copolymers containing different amounts of fulgimide moieties has been synthesized via a polymer analogous reaction of poly(pentafluorophenyl acrylate). All copolymers were designed to exhibit a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) in water, which was only weakly dependent on the amount of incorporated chromophoric fulgimide groups. The copolymers showed a photocyclization of the fulgimide side groups upon irradiation with UV-light accompanied with a color change. The closed form of the chromophore had a halftime of 136 min for the visible reisomerization and did not affect the LCST of the polymer. This led to the realization of a logic "NOT A" for the fulgimide containing PNIPAM, while a corresponding azobenzene containing PNIPAM resulted in a different logic "A implies B".
authors.affiliation: Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Mainz, Duesbergweg 10-14, D-55099 Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Florian D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Jochum
authors.forename: F Romina
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Forst
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Theato