PB20 Photofunction of Liquid-crystalline Cyclic Azobenzene Derivatives

Abstract

We have reported on materials that show reversible photoinduced solid-liquid phase transition at room temperature; macrocyclic compounds possessing several azobenzenes in a backbone and alkoxy groups as side chains exhibit excellent photoresponsivity for change from crystal state to liquid state and stability of liquid state. Herein we report the thermal properties, photoisomerization, phase transition and molecular orientation of these liquid-crystalline cyclic azobenzene derivatives.