ISIS Neutron and Muon Source Data Journal

This is a page describing data taken during an experiment at the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source. Information about the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source can be found at https://www.isis.stfc.ac.uk.

ISIS Neutron and Muon Source

ISIS Neutron and Muon Data

Harnessing Light-Responsive Structural Control in Lyotropic Liquid Crystals

Data collected on the
SANS2D instrument
at the ISIS facility

Abstract: Materials that change their nanoscale structure in response to external stimuli are of interest as smart materials for a wide range of applications, including targeted drug or catalyst release, soft bio-robotics and energy-storage systems. We have recently demonstrated the first example of light-responsive cubic lyotropic liquid crystal (LLC) lipid dispersions, or cubosomes, in which photoswitchable azobenzene photosurfactants (AzoPS) were used to enable external control over the LLC structure and subsequent on-demand release of entrapped guest molecules. Upon irradiation with light, the AzoPS within the cubosomes undergo trans-cis photoisomerization, which in turn leads to squeezing of the cubic lattice and release of entrapped cargo. However, the mechanism for photoisomerisation of azobenzene, especially in condensed, self-assembled states, and the knock-on effect this has on the long-range structural order, are still poorly understood. This knowledge is essential to inform the targeted, bottom-up design of next-generation systems where the light-response is harnessed for optimal control. The aim of this study is to use selective deuteration in small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) to understand where the photosurfactant resides in mixed LLC structures of different symmetries. We will use this to explore how photoisomerisation affects the long-range structural order.

Public release date: 18 December 2026

Experimenter: Mr Jack Avery
Local Contact: Dr Najet Mahmoudi
Experimenter: Dr Beatrice Jones
Experimenter: Professor Rachel Evans
Experimenter: Dr Nathan Cowieson

DOI: 10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2320155-1

Parent DOI: 10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2320155

ISIS Experiment Number: RB2320155

Part Number: 1

This dataset is NOT yet publicly available.
The release date is: 18 December 2026

download
the dataset

Date of Experiment: 15 December 2023

Publisher: STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source

Data format: RAW/Nexus
Select the data format above to find out more about it.

Data Citation

The recommended format for citing this dataset in a research publication is as:
[author], [date], [title], [publisher], [doi]

For Example:
Mr Jack Avery et al; (2023): Harnessing Light-Responsive Structural Control in Lyotropic Liquid Crystals, STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, https://doi.org/10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2320155-1

Data is released under the CC-BY-4.0 license.