Azobenzene's Cross-Scale Optics and Photonics: Molecular Photoswitching, Mesoscopic Material Motions, and Adaptive Devices
Abstract
Azobenzene is a widely studied molecular photoswitch that converts light absorption into reversible E/Z isomerization and, when embedded in soft or ordered media, into optical, mechanical, thermal, transport, and bioadaptive functions. This review examines azobenzene optics and photonics through a cross-scale structure-property-function framework. We first summarize the mechanistic landscape of trans-cis isomerization, including π-π* and n-π* excitation, ultrafast relaxation pathways, and molecular design rules that tune absorption wavelength, quantum yield, photostationary state (PSS), and cis-state lifetime. We then connect single-molecule switching to collective responses in azobenzene-containing materials, including photoalignment and all-optical poling, stress-driven surface patterning in amorphous polymers, photomechanics in liquid-crystalline polymer networks (LCNs) and liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs), and phase-transition-based responses. On this basis, we organize applications according to their dominant device functions: information processing and reconfigurable photonics, dynamic liquid crystals (LCs) and adaptive optical devices, molecular solar thermal (MOST) energy storage, mechanical motion and soft robotics, mechanically enabled processing, bioadaptive transport, and opto/iontronic interfaces. The Review emphasizes quantitative links between molecular orientation, stress generation, and macroscopic deformation, and highlights how modeling and materials design can improve visible/red-light operation, fatigue resistance, penetration depth, manufacturability, and device integration. We close by outlining challenges and opportunities for durable, scalable, and multifunctional azobenzene-based adaptive photonic matter.
Related
- Integrated Microwave Photonics: From Material Platforms to Systems-on-Chip
- A Mesoscopic Ginzburg--Landau Model for Vibrational Strong Coupling Enhanced Rayleigh Scattering in Molecular Liquids
- Material and thermal properties of MgCl2 molten salt by ab initio and machine-learning molecular-dynamics simulations
- From nanoscopic to macroscopic photo-driven motion in azobenzene-containing materials
- Dielectric-Screened Functionals for Cis-Trans Excitation Energies of Solvated Azobenzene Derivatives: Screening Trends in Comparison with Experiment and Published GW/BSE Calculations.
BibTeX
@article{son2026azobenzenes,
title = {{Azobenzene's Cross-Scale Optics and Photonics: Molecular Photoswitching, Mesoscopic Material Motions, and Adaptive Devices}},
author = {Heeju Son and Soyul Kwak and Heerin Noh and Minsang Kim and Doyeon Noh and Subhayan Chakraborty and Jaewon Lee and Yongdeok Cho and Kyeongsoo Kim and Taewoong Eom and Moonyoung Kim and Jangwon Kim and Hoyoung Lee and Soyoung Lee and Jaehun Kim and Grace G. D. Han and Shin-Tson Wu and Stefano L. Oscurato and Arri Priimagi and Marina Saphiannikova and Seungwoo Lee},
journal = {Advanced Materials},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1002/adma.202522702},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05789702v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Azobenzene's Cross-Scale Optics and Photonics: Molecular Photoswitching, Mesoscopic Material Motions, and Adaptive Devices
AU - Heeju Son
AU - Soyul Kwak
AU - Heerin Noh
AU - Minsang Kim
AU - Doyeon Noh
AU - Subhayan Chakraborty
AU - Jaewon Lee
AU - Yongdeok Cho
AU - Kyeongsoo Kim
AU - Taewoong Eom
AU - Moonyoung Kim
AU - Jangwon Kim
AU - Hoyoung Lee
AU - Soyoung Lee
AU - Jaehun Kim
AU - Grace G. D. Han
AU - Shin-Tson Wu
AU - Stefano L. Oscurato
AU - Arri Priimagi
AU - Marina Saphiannikova
AU - Seungwoo Lee
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/09
JO - Advanced Materials
DO - 10.1002/adma.202522702
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05789702v1
AB - Azobenzene is a widely studied molecular photoswitch that converts light absorption into reversible E/Z isomerization and, when embedded in soft or ordered media, into optical, mechanical, thermal, transport, and bioadaptive functions. This review examines azobenzene optics and photonics through a cross-scale structure-property-function framework. We first summarize the mechanistic landscape of trans-cis isomerization, including π-π* and n-π* excitation, ultrafast relaxation pathways, and molecular design rules that tune absorption wavelength, quantum yield, photostationary state (PSS), and cis-state lifetime. We then connect single-molecule switching to collective responses in azobenzene-containing materials, including photoalignment and all-optical poling, stress-driven surface patterning in amorphous polymers, photomechanics in liquid-crystalline polymer networks (LCNs) and liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs), and phase-transition-based responses. On this basis, we organize applications according to their dominant device functions: information processing and reconfigurable photonics, dynamic liquid crystals (LCs) and adaptive optical devices, molecular solar thermal (MOST) energy storage, mechanical motion and soft robotics, mechanically enabled processing, bioadaptive transport, and opto/iontronic interfaces. The Review emphasizes quantitative links between molecular orientation, stress generation, and macroscopic deformation, and highlights how modeling and materials design can improve visible/red-light operation, fatigue resistance, penetration depth, manufacturability, and device integration. We close by outlining challenges and opportunities for durable, scalable, and multifunctional azobenzene-based adaptive photonic matter.
SN - 0935-9648
SN - 1521-4095
ER -