title: Self-Assembled Hierarchical Superstructures from the Benzene-1,3,5-Tricarboxamide Supramolecules for the Fabrication of Remote-Controllable Actuating and Rewritable Films.
abstract: The well-defined hierarchical superstructures constructed by the self-assembly of programmed supramolecules can be organized for the fabrication of remote-controllable actuating and rewritable films. To realize this concept, we newly designed and synthesized a benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxamide (BTA) derivative (abbreviated as BTA-3AZO) containing photoresponsive azobenzene (AZO) mesogens on the periphery of the BTA core. BTA-3AZO was first self-assembled to nanocolumns mainly driven by the intermolecular hydrogen-bonds between BTA cores, and these self-assembled nanocolumns were further self-organized laterally to form the low-ordered hexagonal columnar liquid crystal (LC) phase below the isotropization temperature. Upon cooling, a lamello-columnar crystal phase emerged at room temperature via a highly ordered lamello-columnar LC phase. The three-dimensional (3D) organogel networks consisted of fibrous and lamellar superstructures were fabricated in the BTA-3AZO cyclohexane-methanol solutions. By tuning the wavelength of light, the shape and color of the 3D networked thin films were remote-controlled by the conformational changes of azobenzene moieties in the BTA-3AZO. The demonstrations of remote-controllable 3D actuating and rewritable films with the self-assembled hierarchical BTA-3AZO thin films can be stepping stones for the advanced flexible optoelectronic devices.
authors.affiliation: Polymer Materials Fusion Research Center & Department of Polymer-Nano Science and Technology, Chonbuk National University , Jeonju 561-756, Korea.
authors.forename: Yu-Jin
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Polymer Materials Fusion Research Center & Department of Polymer-Nano Science and Technology, Chonbuk National University , Jeonju 561-756, Korea.
authors.forename: Dae-Yoon
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Polymer Materials Fusion Research Center & Department of Polymer-Nano Science and Technology, Chonbuk National University , Jeonju 561-756, Korea.
authors.forename: Minwook
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Polymer Materials Fusion Research Center & Department of Polymer-Nano Science and Technology, Chonbuk National University , Jeonju 561-756, Korea.
authors.forename: Won-Jin
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.affiliation: Polymer Materials Fusion Research Center & Department of Polymer-Nano Science and Technology, Chonbuk National University , Jeonju 561-756, Korea.
authors.forename: Yumin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Polymer Materials Fusion Research Center & Department of Polymer-Nano Science and Technology, Chonbuk National University , Jeonju 561-756, Korea.
authors.forename: Joo-Kyoung
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Optoelectronic Engineering, National Sun Yat-Sen University , Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yeo-Wan
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Optoelectronic Engineering, National Sun Yat-Sen University , Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shiao-Wei
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.affiliation: Department of Polymer Science, The University of Akron , Akron, Ohio 44325-3909, United States.
authors.forename: Chih-Hao
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.affiliation: Polymer Materials Fusion Research Center & Department of Polymer-Nano Science and Technology, Chonbuk National University , Jeonju 561-756, Korea.
authors.forename: Kwang-Un
authors.initials: KU
authors.lastname: Jeong
keywords: remote-control; reversible actuating; rewritable film; self-assembly; supramolecule