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Updated: Nov 28, 2025

Determination of the Photoisomerization Quantum Yield of a Hydrazone Photoswitch
Published on: February 7, 2022
Electro- and Photo-Driven Orthogonal Switching of a Helical Superstructure Enabled by an Axially Chiral Molecular
Xinfang Zhang1, Banu Koz1,2, Hari Krishna Bisoyi1
1Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute and Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program, Kent State University, Kent 44242, Ohio, United States.
Abstract:
Self-organized functional soft materials, enabled by specific chemical architectures, are currently attracting tremendous attention because of their stimuli-responsive attributes and applications in advanced technological devices. A novel axially chiral molecular switch containing two azo linkages and six terminal alkyl chains on two elongated rod-shaped wings, that exhibits superior solubility, high helical twisting power, and reversible photoisomerization in an achiral liquid crystal host, is synthesized and utilized in the development of a photoresponsive, self-organized helical superstructure, that is, cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC). The planar CLC adopts a standing helix (SH) configuration because of surface alignment layers on the substrates. This SH can be transitioned to a lying helix configuration, enabling tunable diffraction gratings under the application of electric field. Adjustment of the initial pitch of the planar CLC by photoirradiation yields the diffraction gratings with stripes either parallel or perpendicular to the rubbing direction upon the application of an appropriate electric field. Tunable beam steering along orthogonal directions has been demonstrated. Such tunable stimuli-responsive soft materials fabricated with artificial chiral switches show great potential in optics, photonics, and beyond.
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