title: Butadiene-based photoresponsive soft materials.
abstract: The creation of stimuli-responsive materials offers considerable challenges in the area of material science. The use of light as an external stimulus has particular advantages because it can bring about rapid transformations in remote regions in a very precise manner. Naturally occurring photoresponsive systems provide the motivation for developing corresponding artificial systems using molecular self-assembly to address issues such as quantum efficiency, selectivity, and amplification. A practical strategy for developing photoresponsive materials is to utilize molecules that can undergo considerable change in shape on photoisomerization. Although the photoisomerization of polyenes between their linear all-trans isomer and bent cis isomers has been extensively investigated in solution and in organized media because of its relevance to naturally occurring photoresponsive systems, its use in developing artificial photoresponsive systems has not been well explored. This feature article provides an overview of photoresponsive soft materials such as liquid crystals and gels with special emphasis on our recent studies related to the use of the butadiene chromophore for the design of such materials. The role of molecular self-assembly in controlling the photochemical and photophysical properties of these molecules is also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Photosciences and Photonics Section, Chemical Sciences and Technology Division, National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Trivandrum-695 019, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Suresh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Shinto
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Varghese
authors.forename: N S Saleesh
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Kumar
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D002070:Butadienes / Q000737:chemistry*; D050866:Liquid Crystals / Q000737:chemistry; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D055668:Photochemical Processes; D011090:Polyenes / Q000737:chemistry; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D013816:Thermodynamics; D044366:Transition Temperature
chemical_list: D002070:Butadienes; D011090:Polyenes