Tuning the Circularly Polarized Reflection from Cholesteric Hydroxypropyl Cellulose Using Molecular Photoswitches.

ABSTRACT: Controlling the ordering of molecular liquid crystals using light has found widespread applications in reflectors, sensors, and tunable optical filters. In chiral liquid crystals such as cholesterics, introducing a molecular switch can alter chiral interactions between mesogens and thus affect the periodicity and photonic band responsible for the structural color of the material. However, analogous photo-control of cellulose-based cholesteric polymers has not been reported. Here, we investigate the addition of achiral and chiral switches to cholesteric mesophases of structurally colored hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) and monitor changes in the photonic bandgap upon varying concentration, illumination, or temperature. While an achiral photoswitch enables reversible tuning of the reflected co

SUBMITTER: Hassan F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12759224 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature