Chirality Enabled Liquid Crystalline Physical Gels with High Modulus but Low Driving Voltage

Liquid crystalline physical gels, which stabilize the fluidic liquid crystals by non-covalent three-dimensional fibrous network, are not only able to maintain the unique electro-optical response capability but also capable of affording the self-supporting function. Herein, we report liquid crystalline physical gels with high modulus but low driving voltage. This behavior is enabled by chirality transfer from molecular level to three-dimensional fibrous networks during the self-assembly of 1,4-benzenedicarboxamide phenylalanine derivatives. Interestingly, the critical gel concentration is as low as 0.1 wt%. Our findings open doors to understanding and exploiting the role of chirality in organic gels.