Abstract
It is demonstrated that halogen bonding can be used to construct low‐molecular‐weight supramolecular complexes with unique light‐responsive properties. In particular, halogen bonding drives the formation of a photoresponsive liquid‐crystalline complex between a non‐mesogenic halogen bond‐donor molecule incorporating an azo group, and a non‐mesogenic alkoxystilbazole moiety, acting as a halogen bond‐acceptor. Upon irradiation with polarized light, the complex exhibits a high degree of photoinduced anisotropy (order parameter of molecular alignment > 0.5). Moreover, efficient photoinduced surface‐relief‐grating (SRG) formation occurs upon irradiation with a light interference pattern, with a surface‐modulation depth 2.4 times the initial film thickness. This is the first report on a halogen‐bonded photoresponsive low‐molecular‐weight complex, which furthermore combines a high degree of photoalignment and extremely efficient SRG formation in a unique way. This study highlights the potential of halogen bonding as a new tool for the rational design of high‐performance photoresponsive suprastructures.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | OP345-OP352 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Advanced Optical Materials |
Volume | 24 |
Issue number | 44 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2012 |
MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Keywords
- Azobenzene
- halogen bonding
- liquid crystals
- self-assembly
- supramolecular complexes