Photopatterning of Discotic Liquid Crystal Physical Gels

Abstract

Photoinduced structural changes of liquid crystal physical gels consisting of discotic columnar liquid crystal, 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexaalkoxytriphenylenes and a photoresponsive hydrogen-bonded gelator have been applied to fabrication of micropatterns. The photopatterns are formed by changes in phase transition behavior of the discotic columnar liquid crystal gels, which is caused by the trans-cis photoisomerization of azobenzene moieties in the gelator.