Photomechanical Bending of Azobenzene-Based Photochromic Molecular Fibers

Self-assembly of porous cellulose fibers and the incorporation of graphene carbon quantum dots for stable luminescence

Porous fibers as excellent carriers can be used to prepare photoluminescence materials. Herein, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were derived from microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) by sulfuric acid hydrolysis. After CNCs were squeezed into a coagulating bath containing silicon precursors obtained by the hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate, porous cellulose fibers were constructed through self-assembly and then incorporated with graphene carbon quantum dots (GQDs) to prepare porous photoluminescence cellulose fibers. The silicon precursor amount, self-assembly time, and corrosion time were optimized. In addition, the morphology, structure and optical properties of the products were investigated. These results showed that as-prepared porous cellulose fibers with mesopores presented loose and porous mesh. Interestingly, the porous photoluminescence cellulose fibers exhibited blue fluorescence, and the maximum emission peak appeared at 430 nm under the excitation wavelength of 350 nm. Furthermore, the relative fluorescence intensity of the porous photoluminescence cellulose fibers was significantly enhanced compared with nonporous photoluminescence cellulose fibers. This work provided a new method to prepare environmentally and stably photoluminescence fibers, which had potential applications in anti-counterfeit packaging and smart packaging.

Photoresponse modulation of reduced graphene oxide by surface modification with cardanol derived azobenzene

The covalent and non-covalent interaction of photochromic azobenzene with reduced graphene oxide (RGO) influences the photo induced electrical conductivity of RGO.

Photoinduced change in the shape of azobenzene-based molecular glass particles fixed in agar gel

A new photomechanical phenomenon was observed, in which azobenzene-based molecular glass particles fixed in an isotropic agar gel environment became elongated and formed string-like structures upon being irradiated with a linearly polarized laser beam.

Light-driven bending of diarylethene mixed crystals

Mixed crystals composed of 1,2-bis(2-methyl-5-(p-methoxyphenyl)-3-thienyl)perfluorocyclopentene (1a) and 1,2-bis(5-methyl-2-(p-methoxyphenyl)-4-thiazolyl)perfluorocyclopentene (2a) were prepared, and their photochromic as well as light-driven bending performance was studied to reveal how shape changes of individual molecules cause the bending response. 1a and 2a molecules, having similar geometrical structures, randomly mix with each other in a single crystal. The absorption spectra of the closed-ring isomers 1b and 2b were, however, distinctly different. The difference of the spectra made it possible to discriminate the cycloreversion reactions of 1b and 2b in the mixed crystals by irradiation with 750 nm light. The bending response of the mixed crystals by the selective photoisomerization revealed that the local shape change of each molecule is additively linked to the macroscopic deformation of the crystals.

Reversible colour changes of binary films composed of azobenzene-based amorphous molecular materials and p-toluene sulfonic acid in response to exhaled breath

Binary films composed of azobenzene-based amorphous molecular materials and p-toluene sulfonic acid were found to exhibit drastic and reversible colour change when we breathed onto their films.