Rapid and reversible photoinduced switching of a rotaxane crystal

Crystalline phase transitions caused by external stimuli have been used to detect physical changes in the solid-state properties. This study presents the mechanical switching of crystals of ferrocene-containing rotaxane controlled by focused laser light. The expansion and contraction of the crystals can be driven by turning on and off laser light at 445 nm. The irradiation-induced expansion of the crystal involves elongation along the a, b and c axes at 30 °C, whereas heating of the crystal at 105 °C causes the shortening of c axis. The expansions reversibly occur and have the advantage of a rapid relaxation (reverse) process. Single-crystal X-ray crystallography reveals the detailed structural changes of the molecules, corresponding to a change in the size of the crystals on laser irradiation. This molecular crystal behaviour induced by laser irradiation, is demonstrated for the remote control of objects, namely, microparticle transport and microswitching in an electric circuit.