Effects of photoswitching in complex partially ordered systems

Abstract

In recent years, progress in optics and photonics stimulated the rapid development of multifunctional photoswitchable materials. The ability to manipulate the mechanical, optical and electronic properties of such materials is of paramount interest for emergent technologies. Combination of liquid crystalline order and photoresponsive properties of the mesogens gave rise to the development of photochromic liquid crystals. One of the most exciting themes in this area is the light-driven self-assembly at the nanoscale. In this Review, we discuss recent advances in the field of photoswitchable liquid crystals with a focus on bend-shaped liquid crystals and photoswitchable dendrimers. Photoinduced phase transitions, photo-orientation and alignment, photo-mechanical and photo-rheological effects have been highlighted and discussed.