Zhao Shuang, Wang Ning, James Young David, Mi Yan, Hu Fei-Long
Guangxi Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Engineering of Forest Products, Guangxi Minzu University, Nanning, 530006, P. R. China.
Glasgow College UESTC, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, P. R. China.
Chem Asian J. 2024 Oct 1;19(19):e202400559. doi: 10.1002/asia.202400559. Epub 2024 Sep 3.
The application of photo responsive crystals to useful actuation demands a rational design to elicit controllable movement. The [2+2] photocycloaddition reaction triggers mechanical motion using associated photosalient (PS) effects. We herein report a coordination site selective occupation strategy to modulate the arrangement of C=C bonds and thereby tune the PS effect. Replacing or repositioning the donor atom at one end of the linear ligand allowed for a greater level of molecular structural flexibility, facilitating [2+2] photocycloaddition. The distance between photoreactive centres and coordination sites was adjusted by ligand design to regulate PS behaviour. This work suggests new avenues for modulating PS movement to achieve useful motion.
