Photonic crystals have attracted great attention because of their potential applications in optical materials. When an optically birefringent liquid crystal is incorporated in photonic crystals, ...

New discovery allows scientists to change the shape of azobenzene molecules using visible light, which is more practical and safe than previously used ultraviolet light. Azobenzenes are incredibly ...

Researchers have new insight into molecules that change their shape in response to light. The researchers studying azobenzene-based polymers found that their free volume -- a measure of the space ...

Probably the most efficient way to convert solar energy into electricity is the old fashioned way, heating water into steam and turning a turbine. This remains a messy affair though and you don’t ...

Rapid bending of the platelike microcrystals (about 525 µm long) of trans-4-(dimethylamino)azobenzene takes place when the sample is irradiated with 365 nm light. The microcrystals whip forward in the ...

Researchers have developed a novel strategy to control the shapes of polymeric materials by utilizing photoresponsive molecular switches, which may evolve tractable stimuli-responsive soft materials.

A research group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States has announced that it has developed a flexible thin-film material that can change shape when exposed to light ...

A light-sensitive polymer changes how it conducts heat and lithium ions by switching molecular order, revealing a path toward self-regulating materials for batteries and electronics. (Nanowerk ...