Smart adsorbents with reversible photo-regulated molecular switches for selective adsorption and efficient
Jing Zhu1, Peng Tan1, Piao-Ping Yang1
1Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 210009, China. liuxq@njtech.edu.cn lbsun@njtech.edu.cn.
Abstract:
Traditional adsorbents with fixed pore surface properties are unlikely to achieve both selective adsorption and efficient desorption, which are extremely desirable in adsorption processes. Here we report a new class of smart adsorbents by introducing photo-responsive azobenzene derivatives to pore interiors of mesoporous silica. The azobenzene molecules are applied as ON-OFF switches for active sites, and are reversibly regulated by UV/visible light irradiation, thus endowing the adsorbents with unprecedented properties to achieve selective adsorption and efficient desorption.
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