The research team of Professor Kwangwoon Jeong at Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) (College of Engineering, Department of Polymer -Nano Science &Technology; Graduate School, Department of Nano Convergence Engineering) succeeded in precisely controlling the arrangement of molecules to implement direction-dependent photothermal conversion properties.

This research was published as the cover article in the September issue of the world-leading materials science journal Advanced Materials. Advanced Materials has an Impact Factor of 29.1 and ranks among the top approximately 2% in the field of materials science.

The research team designed and synthesized a new molecular compound (PB-ABT) by introducing a thiazole group into an azobenzene-based material responsive to light stimuli. They then induced the molecules to self-organize into a uniform orientation and analyzed how molecular alignment affects light absorption and heat generation.

As a result, they confirmed that the degree of light absorption and the conversion process to thermal energy vary depending on the direction of molecular alignment. Experiments showed that the same material can exhibit different thermal responses depending on the incident light direction or polarization state.

The study demonstrated that, by controlling not only the chemical structure of molecules but also their assembled arrangement, material functions can be designed with greater precision. It establishes a foundation for realizing tailored optical and thermal responses through nano- and molecular-level design.

The findings are noteworthy because they open new possibilities for next-generation functional materials that utilize directional information of light. In particular, exploiting polarization-dependent differences in optical and thermal signals could enable applications such as novel encryption materials or smart optical devices that respond to external lighting conditions.

Professor Kwangwoon Jeong said, "This research demonstrates that photothermal properties can be designed by jointly controlling molecular structure and alignment," and added, "We expect this to lead to the development of functional polymer materials that can be applied in various fields such as optical security, sensors, and energy conversion."

Dr. Minwoo Lim, who conducted this research, received his Ph.D. from JBNU in 2026 and is currently continuing his research as a postdoctoral researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Dr. Lim has participated in 28 SCI papers to date, including 11 as the first author, and has been actively conducting research in the fields of polymers and functional materials.

This research was carried out with support from the Korea-Taiwan Joint Research Program of the National Research Foundation of Korea and the NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme.