Molecular Design and LC Phase Properties of Cis-Azobenzene Derivatives for Host-Guest LC

Abstract

Host-guest LC systems containing novel photoresponsive 3,3'-disubstituted azobenzenes were designed and their properties were studied. We found that these azobenzenes prefers rod-like structures in both trans and cis conformations by introducing appropriate substituents. The relation between molecular structures and compatibility with LC hosts was studied experimentally by means of highly doped LC systems. The thermodynamic properties of these systems were also evaluated. Computational calculation for optimizing molecular structure was performed by using MOPac PM3 method.