Tunable Photochromism of Spirooxazine in the Solid State: A New Design Strategy Based on the Hypochromic Effect

As an important organic photofunctional material, spirooxazine (SO) usually does not exhibit photochromism in the solid state since the intermolecular π-π stacking impedes photoisomerization. Developing photochromic SO in the solid state is crucial for practical applications but is still full of challenges. Here, a series of spirooxazine derivatives (SO1-SO4) with bulky aromatic substituents at the 4- and 7-positions of the skeleton, which provide them with a large volume with which to undergo solid-state photochromism under mild conditions, is designed and synthesized. All the compounds SO1-SO4 exhibit tunable solid photochromism without ground colors, excellent fatigue resistance, and high thermal stability. Notably, it takes only 15 s for SO4 to reach the saturation of absorption intensity, thought to represent the fastest solid-state photoresponse of spirooxazines. X-ray crystal structures of the intermediate compound SO0 and the products SO1-SO2 as well as computational studies suggest that the bulky aromatic groups can lead to a hypochromic effect, allowing for the photochromism of SO in the solid state. The ideal photochromic properties of these spirooxazines open a new avenue for their applications in UV printing, quick response code, and related fields.

A Modern Look at Spiropyrans: From Single Molecules to Smart Materials

Photochromic compounds of the spiropyran family have two main isomers capable of inter-switching with UV or visible light. In the current review, we discuss recent advances in the synthesis, investigation of properties, and applications of spiropyran derivatives. Spiropyrans of the indoline series are in focus as the most promising representatives of multi-sensitive spirocyclic compounds, which can be switched by a number of external stimuli, including light, temperature, pH, presence of metal ions, and mechanical stress. Particular attention is paid to the structural features of molecules, their influence on photochromic properties, and the reactions taking place during isomerization, as the understanding of the structure-property relationships will rationalize the synthesis of compounds with predetermined characteristics. The main prospects for applications of spiropyrans in such fields as smart material production, molecular electronics and nanomachinery, sensing of environmental and biological molecules, and photopharmacology are also discussed.

Tailoring the Solid-State Fluorescence of BODIPY by Supramolecular Assembly with Polyoxometalates

A cationic boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) derivative (1⁺) has been successfully combined with two polyoxometalates (POMs), the Lindqvist-type [W₆O₁₉]^2- and the β-[Mo₈O₂₆]^4- units, into three new supramolecular fluorescent materials (1)₂[W₆O₁₉]·2CH₃CN, (1)₂[W₆O₁₉], and (1)₄[Mo₈O₂₆]·DMF·H₂O. The resulting hybrid compounds have been fully characterized by a combination of single-crystal X-ray diffraction, IR and UV-vis spectroscopies, and photoluminescence analyses. This self-assembly approach prevents any π-π stacking interactions not only between the BODIPY units, responsible for aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) effects, but also between the BODIPY and the POMs, avoiding intermolecular charge-transfer effects. Noticeably, the POM units do not only act as bulky spacers, but their negative charge density drives the molecular arrangement of the 1⁺ luminophore, strongly modifying its fluorescence in the solid state. As a consequence, the 1⁺ cations are organized into dimers in (1)₂[W₆O₁₉]·2CH₃CN and (1)₂[W₆O₁₉], which are weakly emissive at room temperature, and in a more compact layered assembly in (1)₄[Mo₈O₂₆]·DMF·H₂O, which exhibits a red-shifted and intense emission upon similar photoexcitation.

A Cooperative Photoactive Class-I Hybrid Polyoxometalate With Benzothiadiazole-Imidazolium Cations

An organic–inorganic hybrid species based on the Wells–Dawson polyoxotungstate [P₂W₁₈O₆₂]⁶⁻ and novel fluorescent benzothiadiazole–imidazolium cations, [BTD-4,7-ImH]²⁺, has been synthesized. X-ray crystallographic analysis shows that the inorganic and organic components form a hydrogen-bonded superstructure and that the cations are revealed to be non-equivalent with varying degrees of rotation between the BTD and imidazolium rings due to competition between weak intra- and intermolecular interactions. The UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra indicate that the hybrid has a band gap of 3.13 eV, while the solid-state fluorescence properties of the cation are quenched in the hybrid material, suggesting the existence of electron transfer between the inorganic and organic components. The highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energies of the polyoxometalate (POM) and BTD-4,7-ImH precursors, estimated through UV–vis absorption spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry, indicate that electron transfer from the BTD cations to the POM may occur in the excited state.

Photoactive Polyoxometalate/DASA Covalent Hybrids for Photopolymerization in the Visible Range

The synthesis of TBA-DASA-POM-DASA, the first photoactive covalent hybrid polyoxometalate (POM) incorporating a donor-acceptor Stenhouse adduct (DASA) reverse photochrome, is presented. It has been evidenced that in solution the equilibrium between the colorless cyclopentenone and the highly colored triene conformers is strongly dependent not only on the nature of the solvent but also the countercations, allowing to tune its optical properties. This complex has been further associated to photochromic spironaphtoxazine cations, resulting in a material which can be activated by two distinct optical stimuli. Moreover, when combined with N-methyldiethanolamine, TBA-DASA-POM-DASA constitutes a performing photoinitiating system for polyethylene glycol diacrylate polymerization and under visible light irradiation, a promising result in a domain scarcely developed in POM chemistry.