Photosynthesis in nature provides a good example of light trapping system for human beings, using a large number of antennae for efficient energy transfer between donor molecules and acceptor molecules, the light energy can be well collected into the light reaction center to achieve effective energy capture and conversion. At present, the construction of artificial light capture system is mostly based on solution supramolecular self-assembly system, while the application of ordered assembled solid-state materials such as liquid crystals in artificial light capture system is rarely reported. Liquid crystal materials have a relatively regular ordered structure, so that they can form a relatively tight donor-acceptor stacking structure, which is conducive to the efficient transfer of light energy; at the same time, the dynamic ordering characteristics of liquid crystals can be given to the artificial light capture system unique stimulus response function, the combination of these features makes the liquid crystal materials in the field of light capture system has a lot of potential for application.

     Recently, the group has developed an artificial light trapping system based on disk-like columnar liquid crystal polymers, where the liquid crystal molecules transfer the captured light energy to the receptor molecules through fluorescence resonance energy transfer, and the system not only has close to 100% energy transfer efficiency, but also can achieve hundreds of antenna effect values. By changing the ratio of acceptor molecules to achieve the gradual adjustment of the fluorescence color of the light capture system from green to red, coupled with the reversible transition between green and blue fluorescence of liquid crystal polymers under light conditions, a class of red, green, and blue panchromatic luminescent liquid crystal polymer based light capture system has been constructed effectively. In addition, white light emission can be achieved over a wide donor-acceptor ratio range, and the highest absolute quantum yield of white light can reach 0.28. Finally, we also demonstrate the demonstrative application of this luminescence modulation system with dual modes of fluorescence resonance energy transfer and photoresponsivity in the field of time-resolved information writing and erasure.

The research was published in Nature Communications.（2024, DOI：10.1038/s41467-024-45252-9）.

Associate Professor Mu Bin was the first author of the paper and Professor Tian Wei was the corresponding author.

（Link to full article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-45252-9）