Reversible chirality inversion of circularly polarized luminescence in a photo-invertible helical cholesteric superstructure

A photo-invertible helical cholesteric superstructure was constructed by doping a novel chiral fluorescence photoswitch and a static dopant with opposite handedness into a nematic host. The handedness of circularly polarized luminescence can be reversibly inverted accompanied by a positive-negative change of luminescence dissymmetry factor values upon alternate light irradiations. The first example of photo-driven reversible chirality inversion of circularly polarized luminescence in a helical cholesteric superstructure is reported.