Photocontrollable Wrinkle Morphology Evolution on Azo-Based Multilayers for Hierarchical Surface Micropatterns Fabrication

Inspired by nature, comprehensive understanding and ingenious utilization of the self-organized wrinkling behaviors of the sandwiched multilayer bonded on substrates are important for engineering and/or functional laminated devices design. Herein, we report a facile and effective strategy to regulate the wrinkles morphology evolution and the resultant hierarchical surface micropatterns on azobenzene-based laminated multilayers by visible-light irradiation. Revealed by systematic experiments, the photocontrolled dynamic wrinkle evolutions are triggered by the reversible photoisomerization of azobenzene in the top azopolymer film and are strongly dependent on the intermediate photoinert layers (e.g., polystyrene and oxygen plasma-induced SiOx layer) with the wrinkle-reinforcing effect or the stress relaxation acceleration effect. Interestingly, large-area well-defined hierarchical surface wrinkle patterns could be fabricated on the multilayers upon selective exposure. In the unexposed region, the wrinkles evolved into highly oriented patterns, whereas in the exposed region, they were fully erased or evolved into smaller-wavelength wrinkles. This study not only sheds light on the morphological evolution of the wrinkling laminated composites in engineering and nature but also paves a new avenue to conveniently and controllably realize the hierarchical stimulus-responsive surface patterns.