Resumen: We have developed a new strategy for the preparation of a light-responsive ionic liquid crystal (LC) that shows photo-switchable proton conduction. The ionic LC consists of a bowl-shaped calix[4]arene core ionically functionalized with azobenzene moieties. The non-covalent architectures were obtained by the formation of ionic salts between the carboxylic acid group of an azo-derivative and the terminal amine groups of a calixarene core. The presence of ionic salts results in a hierarchical self-assembly process that extends to the formation of a nanostructured lamellar LC arrangement (smectic A phase). In this LC phase, the ionic LC calixarene is able to display proton conductive properties, since the ionic nanosegregated areas (formed by the ionic pairs) generate the continuous channels that favor proton transport. The optical and photo-responsive properties were studied by UV-Vis spectroscopy, demonstrating that the azobenzene moieties of the ionic LC undergo reversible (E)-to-(Z) isomerization by irradiation with UV light. Interestingly, this (E)-to-(Z) photoisomerization results in a decrease of the proton conductivity values since the bent-shaped (Z)-isomer disrupts the lamellar LC phase. This isomerization process is totally reversible and leads to an ionic LC material with unique photo-switchable proton conductive properties. Idioma: Inglés DOI: 10.1002/hlca.202300010 Año: 2023 Publicado en: HELVETICA CHIMICA ACTA 106, 5 (2023), e202300010 [8 pp.] ISSN: 0018-019X Factor impacto JCR: 1.5 (2023) Categ. JCR: CHEMISTRY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY rank: 154 / 230 = 0.67 (2023) - Q3 - T3 Factor impacto CITESCORE: 3.0 - Physical and Theoretical Chemistry (Q3) - Inorganic Chemistry (Q3) - Organic Chemistry (Q3) - Biochemistry (Q3) - Drug Discovery (Q3) - Catalysis (Q4)