Photo-Induced Structural Changes in the Ion-Conductive Liquid-Crystalline Physical Gels

Abstract

Ion-conductive liquid crystalline (LC) physical gels were developed by combining an amphiphilic smectic liquid crystal, lithium salts and a low-molecular-weight gelator having azobenzene moieties. Ion-conducting behavior of the LC physical gels could be tuned via reversible structural changes in the composite structures induced by photoisomerization of azobenzene moieties.