Photoinduced bending of rod-like millimetre-size crystals of a rhodium dithionite complex with n-pentyl moieties

Photomechanical crystalline materials: new developments, property tuning and applications

This highlight gives an overview of the mechanism development, property tuning and application exploration of photomechanical crystalline materials.

Crystal polymorphism and crystalline-state photochromism of a rhodium dithionite complex with n-methoxypropyl moieties

The crystalline-state photochromism of 1MPro in the β-crystal was successfully disclosed by time-dependent X-ray diffraction experiments.

Unusual motion of the n-methoxypropyl moiety observed in the photochromic crystals of an organorhodium dithionite complex with n-methoxypropyltetramethylcyclopentadienyl ligands

The crystalline-state photochromism of a new organorhodium dinuclear complex having n-methoxypropyltetramethylcyclopentadienyl (η⁵-C₅Me₄n-C₃H₆OCH₃) and photoresponsive dithionite (μ-O₂SSO₂) ligands was investigated directly by performing single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments; a reversible conformational change of the n-methoxypropyl moiety was intriguingly observed during the course of a thermal back-reaction.

Molecular motion in organometallic crystals: photoinduced 2π/5 rotation of n-hexyltetramethylcyclopentadienyl ligand

Unusual rotation of the ligand (blue dotted circle) in organometallic crystals is disclosed by X-ray diffraction experiments.

Photo- and Thermosensitive Molecular Crystals. Valence Tautomeric Interconversion as the Cause of the Photomechanical Effect in Crystals of Bis(dioxolene)cobalt Complex

Especially grown crystals (elongated plates) of the complex (1,10-phen)Co(3,6-DBSQ)₂ (1) reversibly elastically bend under laser excitation (532 or 808 nm) and/or heating in the temperature interval ∼242-265 K (1,10-phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, 3,6-DBSQ = anion-radical and 3,6-DBCat = dianion of 3,6-di-tert-butyl-o-benzoquinone). The abrupt interconversion of valence tautomers is observed in this temperature range: (phen)Co(3,6-DBCat)(3,6-DBSQ) ⇌ (phen)Co(3,6-DBSQ)₂. Solving the problem of design of photo- (thermo-) actuators with preset parameters, the series of solid solutions of general formula (phen)_x(bpy)_1-xCo(3,6-DBSQ)₂ was obtained and crystallized as thin elongated plates. Crystals of each solid solution demonstrate the maximal photomechanical response (bending) at a temperature close to its own valence tautomeric (VT) transition temperature. On the other hand, the VT transition temperature depends on the composition of the solid solution. So, by setting the composition of the solid solution, one can set the temperature of the photomechanical response. It is the first example of temperature-manageable photomechanical properties.

Mechanical Actuation and Patterning of Rewritable Crystalline Monomer-Polymer Heterostructures via Topochemical Polymerization in a Dual-Responsive Photochromic Organic Material

The dark-orange monomer single crystals of 1,1'-dioxo-1H-2,2'-biindene-3,3'-diyldidodecanoate (BIT-dodeca₂) convert to a transparent single-crystalline polymer (PBIT-dodeca₂) material via a single-crystal-to-single-crystal (SCSC) polymerization reaction under sunlight, which then undergoes reverse thermal transformation into BIT-dodeca₂ single crystals, leading to reversible photo-/thermochromism, coupled with mechanical actuation. We exploit the properties of this unique material to demonstrate the formation of monomer-polymer heterostructures in selected regions of single crystals with micrometer-scale precision using a laser. This is the first example of heterostructure patterning involving monomer-polymer domains in single crystals. We reveal that the speed of photomechanical bending induced by the polymerization reaction in this example is comparable to those of the well-known diarylethene derivatives, in which electrocyclic ring-closing-ring-opening reactions operate. Furthermore, we characterize the distinct mechanical properties of the monomer and polymer using a quantitative nanoindentation technique as well as demonstrate photopatterning on a monomer-coated paper for potential use in security devices. These crystals with several advantages, such as photomechanical bending (weight lifting) even when the crystal size is large, responsiveness to both UV and visible light, distinct solubilities (the polymer is insoluble, whereas the monomer is soluble in most organic solvents) and colors, provide unique opportunities for their use at different length scales of the sample (μm to mm) for various purposes.

A non-linear phenomenon observed in the photochromic crystals of a rhodium dithionite complex with n-propyl moieties

A non-linear relationship between the conformational change of an n-propyl moiety and photochromic reaction was observed by performing time-dependent X-ray diffraction experiments.

Photomechanical bending behavior of photochromic diarylethene crystals induced under polarized light

The photoinduced bending velocity of photochromic diarylethene crystals depends on the polarization angle of UV light.

Chirality-controlled spontaneous twisting of crystals due to thermal topochemical reaction

Crystals that show mechanical response against various stimuli are of great interest. These stimuli induce polymorphic transitions, isomerizations, or chemical reactions in the crystal and the strain generated between the daughter and parent domains is transcribed into mechanical response. We observed that the crystals of modified dipeptide LL (N₃-l-Ala-l-Val-NHCH₂C≡CH) undergo spontaneous twisting to form right-handed twisted crystals not only at room temperature but also at 0 °C over time. Using various spectroscopic techniques, we have established that the twisting is due to the spontaneous topochemical azide-alkyne cycloaddition (TAAC) reaction at room temperature or lower temperatures. The rate of twisting can be increased by heating, exploiting the faster kinetics of the TAAC reaction at higher temperatures. To address the role of molecular chirality in the direction of twisting the enantiomer of dipeptide LL, N₃-d-Ala-d-Val-NHCH₂C≡CH (DD), was synthesized and topochemical reactivity and mechanoresponse of its crystals were studied. We have found that dipeptide DD not only underwent TAAC reaction, giving 1,4-triazole-linked pseudopolypeptides of d-amino acids, but also underwent twisting with opposite handedness (left-handed twisting), establishing the role of molecular chirality in controlling the direction of mechanoresponse. This paper reports (i) a mechanical response due to a thermal reaction and (ii) a spontaneous mechanical response in crystals and (iii) explains the role of molecular chirality in the handedness of the macroscopic mechanical response.

Photochemical reactions of metal complexes in the solid state

This perspective focusses on the solid-state reactivity and structural transformation driven by photochemical methods in discrete metal complexes, organometallic compounds, metallo-macrocycles and cages. Changes in the metal-metal bond distances, racemization of chiral centres, fusion of cages, formation of coordination polymers, expected [2 + 2] and [4 + 4] cycloaddition products, unusual phenyl-olefin dimerization, and linkage isomerization of -SO₂, -NO & -NO₂ ligands cause the structural transformations. Of these, [2 + 2] photo-cycloaddition reactions have been widely studied and the photoreactions are made possible by various supramolecular interactions including hydrogen bonds, metallophilic, ππ and C-Hπ interactions, ligand design and metallic clips to bring the reactive functional groups closely into correct orientation close to the transition state. These photoreactions are often accompanied by crystal bending, mechanical motion, and changes in the magnetic and photoluminescence properties. In several cases, the single crystals have been preserved at the end of the reactions, which are known as single-crystal-to-single-crystal (SCSC) reactions.