Phase Transition of a Liquid Crystal Induced by Chiral Photochromic Dopants

Abstract

A chiral cyclohexane having two photochromic diarylethene unit was synthesized in an attempt to use it as a dopant for a photoresponsive liquid crystal. A stable photoswitching between nematic and cholesteric phases could be induced by the addition of a small amount of the chiral cyclohexane to a nematic liquid crystal 4-cyano-4′-penthylbiphenyl (K-15).