The photoinduced deformation properties in azobenzene-containing polymers can convert light energy into mechanical energy. At present, there are few types of photoinduced deformable polymers based on azobenzene-containing high performance polymers, and new types of high performance azobenzene-containing polymers need to be developed. Here, a series of azobenzene-containing poly(arylene ether)s with various azobenzene contents were synthesized. These azobenzene-containing polymers showed high glass transition temperatures and high thermal stabilities. The photoisomerization behavior and the photoinduced deformation behavior of these azobenzene-containing polymers were studied upon exposure to a 442 nm linearly polarized laser and a 532 nm linearly polarized laser, respectively. Both of the photodeformation rate and the maximum photoinduced bending angles of the polymers increased with increasing azobenzene content. To our knowledge, it is the first report on photoinduced deformation properties of azobenzene-containing poly(arylene ether)s. In addition, the photoinduced bending rate and maximum photoinduced bending angle of the cantilever under 442 nm laser excitation were higher and larger than that under 532 nm laser excitation, respectively.

含偶氮苯的聚合物中的光诱导变形特性可以将光能转换为机械能。目前，基于含偶氮苯的高性能聚合物的光致可变形聚合物的类型很少，并且需要开发新型的含偶氮苯的高性能聚合物。在此，合成了一系列具有各种偶氮苯含量的含偶氮苯的聚亚芳基醚。这些含偶氮苯的聚合物显示出高的玻璃化转变温度和高的热稳定性。在分别暴露于442 nm线性偏振激光和532 nm线性偏振激光后，研究了这些含偶氮苯的聚合物的光致异构化行为和光诱导变形行为。聚合物的光致变形速率和最大光致弯曲角都随偶氮苯含量的增加而增加。据我们所知，这是关于含偶氮苯的聚亚芳基醚的光致变形性能的首次报道。另外，在442nm激光激发下，悬臂的光致弯曲速率和最大光诱导弯曲角分别比在532nm激光激发下的高。