Reversible light-directed self-organized 3D liquid crystalline photonic nanostructures doped with azobenzene-functionalized bent-shaped molecules

Blue phases in self-assembled 3D periodic nanostructures endowed with sensitive photoresponsive capability were prepared by doping bent-core molecules with photochromic azobenzene moieties. The molecular configurations are found to be critical to the stabilization effects and photoresponsive behaviours of blue phases.