Retracted Article: Spatially resolved mechanical properties of photo-responsive azobenzene-based supramolecular gels

The viscoelastic and stiffness properties of azobenzene-based supramolecular gels have been investigated by rheometry and AFM. Interestingly, the viscoelastic properties of cis -isomers were 810 fold enhanced in comparison to the trans -isomer, which was a unique phenomenon. More interestingly, Young's modulus of gels increased linearly with time of UV irradiation. The stiffness of gels was finely controlled in the spatial micro-scale environment. The improved mechanical strength was attributed to electrostatic interaction with the production of radicals of the gelators. The mechanical properties of azobenzene-based gelators were finely controlled by UV irradiation.