Photoinduced Isothermal Phase Transition of Ionic Liquid Crystals

Going through a phase: To expand the applications of ionic liquid crystals as on/off switching ionic conductors, photocontrolled supramolecular materials, and ordered/disordered ionic media, photoinduced isothermal smectic–isotropic phase transition of ionic liquid crystals was successfully obtained by incorporation of a small amount of an azobenzene derivative. The presence of the photochromic molecule also maintains the host mesophase and expands the mesogenic temperature range.