Peng Jiang, Han Chuchu, Zhang Xin, Jia Junhui, Bai Jiakun, Zhang Qi, Wang Yan, Xue Pengchong
Key Laboratory of Magnetic Molecules and Magnetic Information Materials of, Ministry of Education & School of Chemistry and Materials Science of, Shanxi Normal University, 030032, Taiyuan, China.
Aerospace science & industry defense technology research and test center, 100039, Beijing, China.
Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2023 Nov 27;62(48):e202311348. doi: 10.1002/anie.202311348. Epub 2023 Oct 23.
Flexible crystals that can capture solar energy and convert it into mechanical energy are promising for a wide range of applications such as information storage and actuators, but obtaining them remains a challenge. Herein, an elastic crystal of a barbiturate derivative was found to be an excellent candidate, demonstrating plastic bending behavior under natural sunlight irradiation. H NMR and high-resolution mass spectrum data of microcrystals before and after light irradiation demonstrated that light-induced [2+2] cycloaddition was the driving force for the photomechanical effects. Interestingly, the crystals retained elastic bending even after light irradiation. This is the first report of flexible crystals that can be driven by natural sunlight and that have both photomechanical properties and elasticity. Furthermore, regulation of the passive light output direction of the crystals and transport of objects by applying mechanical forces and light was demonstrated.
能够捕获太阳能并将其转化为机械能的柔性晶体在信息存储和致动器等广泛应用中具有广阔前景，但获得此类晶体仍然是一项挑战。在此，发现一种巴比妥酸盐衍生物的弹性晶体是一个极佳的候选材料，在自然阳光照射下表现出塑性弯曲行为。光照射前后微晶的1H NMR和高分辨率质谱数据表明，光诱导的[2+2]环加成是光机械效应的驱动力。有趣的是，即使在光照射后，晶体仍保持弹性弯曲。这是关于可由自然阳光驱动且兼具光机械性能和弹性的柔性晶体的首次报道。此外，还展示了对晶体被动光输出方向的调控以及通过施加机械力和光来运输物体。
