Room-Temperature Columnar Tetragonal Self-Assemblies based on Benzenetricarboxamide and Di-ortho Substituted Azobenzene

Here we report the design, synthesis, and photoresponsive behavior of supramolecular liquid crystalline (LC) materials based on benzenetricarboxamide and di-ortho substituted azobenzene. Differential scanning calorimetry, polarized optical microscopy, and wide-angle X-ray scattering studies confirm the formation of columnar tetragonal mesophase at room-temperature. Photoisomerization studies reveal the visible light responsiveness of compounds in solution. Furthermore, we demonstrate supramolecular gel formation, which undergoes irreversible gel-sol transformation upon blue light irradiation, highlighting its potential for light-triggered applications in the field of drug delivery, energy storage etc.