Synthesis, thermo-optical and glass forming properties of a series of photoresponsive luminescent mesogenic materials containing a butadiene moiety linked to a cholesterol group (CBIN, CBIN8 and CBIN12) as well as colour imaging devices based on them are described. These molecules exhibited relatively high fluorescence quantum efficiency in the solid and liquid crystalline states. The cholesteric phase was observed to be the major phase in these molecules and the pitch of cholesteric helix was sensitive to external stimuli such as temperature and light, making it possible to tune their iridescent colour in the visible region. The colour reflected by the cholesteric films could be stabilized by converting them to the glassy state by sudden cooling from their cholesteric phase to ~0 °C. Selective exposure of the material in its liquid crystalline phase to light resulted in trans-cis photoisomerization of the butadiene chromophore. Consequently the pitch of the irradiated portion changed depending upon the intensity of the illuminating light. The coloured images thus formed could be stored for long periods by converting the films to glasses by sudden cooling. The images stored in the glassy state were stable over long periods of time (>one year)
