Controlling thermal conductivity in liquid crystals

• The synthesis of azobenzene molecules allow CiQUS researchers to switch thermal conductivity in liquid crystals by light irradiation. The work has now been featured in the cover of the Journal of Materials Chemistry C.

 

_{Front cover in Journal of Materials Chemistry C | Royal Society of Chemistry}

---

Doping a liquid crystal with azobenzene molecules can induce reversible changes in its thermal conductivity under light irradiation. These findings have been reported in a new collaboration between Center for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Materials (CiQUS) groups and now featured in the cover of the Journal of Materials Chemistry C.

Current challenges in this topic such as thermal dissipation in microelectronics, necessary to prevent devices from overheating, can be addressed by designing new functional materials with tunable thermal conductivity. Liquid crystals are a very interesting family of materials, with applications so appealing as LCD screens. The new study shows that azobenzene molecules can be used to control the thermal conductivity of liquid crystals using ultraviolet light.

"Azobenzenes are a class of molecules whose structure changes with light, so that when added into a liquid crystal, the transport of heat through the whole system can be modified by irradiating it with ultraviolet light " says Noa Varela, PhD student at CiQUS and first author of the study: "Depending on the molecular arrangement of the liquid crystal, either an increase or decrease of the thermal conductivity can be achieved upon illumination, at room temperature". Given the huge variety of available liquid crystals, the work arising from the synergy between F. Rivadulla and M. Giménez groups opens up new possibilities for unlocking the future of thermal conductivity manipulation by innovative design of azobenzene molecules for precision switching.

 

Reference

Light-induced bi-directional switching of thermal conductivity in azobenzene-doped liquid crystal mesophases. Noa Varela-Domínguez, Carlos López-Bueno, Alejandro López-Moreno, Marcel S. Claro, Gustavo Rama, Víctor Leborán, María del Carmen Giménez-López and Francisco Rivadulla*. Journal of Materials Chemistry C 11 (14), 4588-4594. DOI: 10.1039/D3TC00099K

 

_{From left to right: Dr. María Giménez, Noa Varela and Prof. Francisco Rivadulla}