writer：Yu, Z.; Bisoyi, H. K.; Chen, X.*; Nie, Z.; Wang, M.; Yang, H.*; Li, Q.*
keywords：discotic liquid crystal
source：期刊
specific source：Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2022, 61, e202200466.
Issue time：2022年

The development of controllable artificial

light-harvesting systems based on liquid crystal (LC)

materials, i.e., anisotropic fluids, remains a challenge.

Herein, an annulene-based discotic LC compound 6

with a saddle-shaped cyclooctatetrathiophene core has

been synthesized to construct a tunable light-harvesting

platform. The LC material shows a typical aggregationinduced

emission, which can act as a suitable lightharvesting

donor. By loading Nile red (NiR) as an

acceptor, an artificial light-harvesting system is achieved.

Relying on the thermal-responsive self-assembling ability

of 6 with variable molecular order, the efficiency of

such 6-NiR system can be controlled by temperature.

This light-harvesting system works sensitively at a high

donor/acceptor ratio as 1000: 1, and exhibits a high

antenna effect (39.1) at a 100 :1 donor/acceptor ratio.

This thermochromic artificial light-harvesting LC system

could find potential applications in smart devices

employing soft materials.