Phys.com  November 30, 2021 An international team of researchers (Japan, Switzerland, UK) built the supramolecular polymer from monomers that formed six-membered rosettes stacked on top of one another to give an infinitely long chain. An intrinsic curvature generated along the stacked rosettes caused the nanofibers to twist up and fold into a helical structure. The folding could be removed by triggering a “light switch”. UV-light irradiation caused the monomer to bend, forming a kink in the molecule, reducing the rotation of the rosette, and unfolding the helical structure. A second switch which works using temperature prevented the entire polymer from […]