| Abstract: | A new family of multifunctional chiral‐photochromic liquid crystalline (LC) copolymers containing mesogenic, chiral and photoactive groups were synthesized. The new principles of photo‐regulation of the helical supramolecular structure and optical properties of the binary and ternary chiral‐photochromic LC polymers based on the change of helical twisting power of the chiral‐photochromic monomer units, the dual photochromism and photochemical spectral gap burning were developed. It was shown, that the introduction of small amount of low‐molar‐mass chiral‐photochromic dopants in chiral LC copolymers having different helix signs followed by light irradiation permits one to twist or untwist the helical supramolecular structure. The synthesized polymers are shown to be promising candidates for colour data recording and storage. |
