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Updated: Apr 22, 2026

Self-assembling Morphologies Obtained from Helical Polycarbodiimide Copolymers and Their Triazole Derivatives
Published on: February 7, 2017
Rationally designed axially chiral diarylethene switches with high helical twisting power
Yannian Li1, Mengfei Wang, Hao Wang
1Liquid Crystal Institute and Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program, Kent State University, Kent, OH, 44240 (USA), Fax: (+1) 330-672-2796.
Abstract:
Three rationally designed axially chiral diarylethene switches were synthesized and their application as chiral dopants for phototunable cholesteric liquid crystal devices was investigated. Design of these molecules was based on the combination of photochromic dithienylcyclopentene core with bridged binaphthyl units as chiral precursors. Aromatic groups were introduced to the molecules at 6,6'-positions of binaphthyls through a Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction. Their helical twisting powers (HTPs) are significantly higher than those of the known chiral diarylethenes reported as chiral dopants so far. Photocyclization of these molecules upon light irradiation brought out dramatic variation in HTPs between different states. The primary colors, red, green, and blue, were obtained in reflection on light irradiation and with thermal stability. Moreover, a multi-switchable photodisplay was demonstrated using one of these chiral molecular switches.
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