Photomodulating Elasticity of Slide-Ring Gels

Soft materials, such as polymers, gels, or liquid crystals, are omnipresent in nature and modern societies. The possibility to control those materials with external stimuli, e.g. light, is therefore of particular interest for many different fields in science and technology. In his research, Jan Boelke develops photoresponsive slide-ring-gels in which the movability of a crosslinking points can be controlled by irradiation with light. By incorporating azobenzenes into such materials, reversible changes of mechanical properties can be achieved.