Photomodulating chiroptic behaviors in nanosegregated mesophase from a mixture system consisting of nonchiral bent-core and photo-responsive rod-like mesogens

Abstract

In this study, photoresponsive (PR) nanosegregated mesophases were prepared from a mixture system consisting of nonchiral bent-core (BC) and PR rod-like mesogens. The circular dichroism (CD) intensities depended strongly on the thermotropic polymorphism (nematic or smectic A) of the PR mesogen embedded in the BC molecular helical nanofilaments. The CD intensities could be reversibly modulated by alternating irradiation with UV and visible light in the nanosegregated mesophases. The study results presented interesting information relevant to the development of novel chiroptical materials.

Keywords

• Liquid crystals
• chiroptic
• bent-core mesogens
• photoresponsive
• optical storages