Issue 7, 2020

Structural relationships for the design of responsive azobenzene-based lyotropic liquid crystals

Abstract

Light-responsive binary (azobenzene + solvent) lyotropic liquid crystals (LCs) were investigated by structural modification of simple azobenzene molecules. Three benzoic acid-containing azobenzene molecules 4-(4-(hydroxyphenyl)diazenyl)benzoic acid (AZO1), 3-(4-(hydroxyphenyl)diazenyl)benzoic acid (AZO2) and 5-(4-(hydroxyphenyl)diazenyl)isophthalic acid (AZO3) were produced with various amide substitutions to produce tectons with a variety of hydrophobicity, size and branching. The LC mesophases formed by binary (azobenzene + solvent) systems with low volatility solvents dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) as well as the protic ionic liquids ethylammonium formate (EAF) and propylammonium formate (PAF), were investigated using a combination of small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering (SAXS and SANS) as well as polarising light microscopy (PLM). Increasing alkyl group length was found to have a strong influence on LC phase spacing, and changes in the position of substitution on the benzene ring influenced the preferred curvature of phases. UV-induced trans to cis isomerization of the samples was shown to influence ordering and optical birefringence, indicating potential applications in optical devices.

Graphical abstract: Structural relationships for the design of responsive azobenzene-based lyotropic liquid crystals

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
06 Oct 2019
Accepted
28 Jan 2020
First published
30 Jan 2020

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2020,22, 4086-4095

Structural relationships for the design of responsive azobenzene-based lyotropic liquid crystals

L. W. Giles, J. B. Marlow, C. S. G. Butler, G. A. Turpin, L. de Campo, S. T. Mudie, C. F. J. Faul and R. F. Tabor, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2020, 22, 4086 DOI: 10.1039/C9CP05463D

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements