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    Enlightening Materials with Photoswitches
    (Weinheim : Wiley-VCH, 2020) Goulet-Hanssens, Alexis; Eisenreich, Fabian; Hecht, Stefan
    Incorporating molecular photoswitches into various materials provides unique opportunities for controlling their properties and functions with high spatiotemporal resolution using remote optical stimuli. The great and largely still untapped potential of these photoresponsive systems has not yet been fully exploited due to the fundamental challenges in harnessing geometrical and electronic changes on the molecular level to modulate macroscopic and bulk material properties. Herein, progress made during the past decade in the field of photoswitchable materials is highlighted. After pointing to some general design principles, materials with an increasing order of the integrated photoswitchable units are discussed, spanning the range from amorphous settings over surfaces/interfaces and supramolecular ensembles, to liquid crystalline and crystalline phases. Finally, some potential future directions are pointed out in the conclusion. In view of the exciting recent achievements in the field, the future emergence and further development of light-driven and optically programmable (inter)active materials and systems are eagerly anticipated. © 2020 The Authors. Published by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
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    Pros and Cons : Supramolecular or Macromolecular : What Is Best for Functional Hydrogels with Advanced Properties?
    (Weinheim : Wiley-VCH, 2020) Eelkema, Rienk; Pich, Andrij
    Hydrogels are fascinating soft materials with unique properties. Many biological systems are based on hydrogel-like structures, underlining their versatility and relevance. The properties of hydrogels strongly depend on the structure of the building blocks they are composed of, as well as the nature of interactions between them in the network structure. Herein, gel networks made by supramolecular interactions are compared to covalent macromolecular networks, drawing conclusions about their performance and application as responsive materials. © 2020 The Authors. Published by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim