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Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Novel Techniques for Observing Structural Dynamics of Photoresponsive Liquid Crystals
Published on: May 29, 2018
Chiral, Thermally Irreversible and Quasi-Stealth Photochromic Dopant to Control Selective Reflection Wavelength of
Yoshihisa Kurosaki1, Toshiya Sagisaka1, Tomoo Matsushima1
1Department of Advanced Materials Chemistry Graduate School of Engineering Science, Yokohama National University Tokiwadai, Hodogaya, Yokohama, 240-8501, Japan.
Abstract:
A chiral and thermally irreversible photochromic fulgide derivative incorporating an (R)-binaphthol unit in its acid anhydride moiety was used for the photoswitching of the pitch length of cholesteric liquid crystals. Since the absorption maximum wavelengths of both thermally stable photoisomers are nearly in the UV region (quasi-stealth photochromism), it can be exposed to visible light without inducing photochromic reactions. Therefore, when the photoswitching molecule is added to a permanent cholesteric liquid crystal whose reflection light wavelength is in the visible region, the UV light-induced photochromic reaction of the photoswitching molecule changes the wavelength of the reflection light in the visible light region. We have succeeded in regulating the color of cholesteric liquid crystalline cells between red and blue upon UV light irradiation. Attempts to introduce this system in polymer dispersed cholesteric liquid crystals are also described.
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