Glycomacrocycle-Based Azobenzene Derivatives as Chiral Dopants for Photoresponsive Cholesteric Liquid Crystals

American Chemical Society 2020-11-18

We demonstrate photoresponsive cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs) doped with glycomacrocyclic azobenzene derivatives, which exhibit large conformational changes, providing dynamic control of helical superstructures in response to a light stimulus. An unprecedented shortening of the helical pitch length and the empowerment of helical twisting power up to 500% are observed upon trans (E) to cis (Z) photoisomerization. Light-driven dynamic helix twisting and untwisting behavior affords the first example of glycomacrocyclic azobenzene-based CLCs, which can drive the mechanical movement of micro-objects. Two modes of rotation-two-directional or one-directional rotational motion (crankshaft mode)-are realized. In particular, the latter mode based on the reversible cholesteric texture transition between homogeneous stripes and focal conics leads to the accumulation of the rotation angles achieving the amplified mechanical movements.

cholesteric liquid crystal; photoisomerization; glycomacrocyclic azobenzene; helical twisting power; unidirectional rotation; 430; article (author version)

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This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in ACS applied materials & interfaces, copyright c American Chemical Society after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsami.0c14880 .

English

YX@ oai:eprints.lib.hokudai.ac.jp:2115/83298
ACS applied materials & interfaces, 12(46): 52146-52155
1291365678

HOKKAIDO UNIV
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