Multiresponsive self-assembled liquid crystals with azobenzene groups.

An optical and electric field-responsive self-assembled complex containing nitril azobenzene groups and 1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine was obtained and characterized. Both the azobenzene precursor and the complex form a liquid-crystalline phase in a certain temperature range. The transition temperature from crystalline phase to liquid-crystalline mesophase was obviously decreased in the complex by the self-assembling. The self-assembled liquid crystals revealed good response to both stimuli of light irradiation and electric field, and the induced molecular orientation could be held even after the removal of the stimuli. The structural and mechanical investigation proved that the formation of hydrogen bonds and assembly-induced molecular dipolar change contributed to the multiresponding action. This kind of self-assembled complex thus has potential applications in imaging and data storage.