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Published on: May 15, 2017
Green-Light-Triggered Phase Transition of Azobenzene Derivatives toward Reversible Adhesives
Zhen Wu1, Chendong Ji1, Xujie Zhao1
1State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials , Beijing University of Chemical Technology , Beijing 100029 , People's Republic of China.
Abstract:
Studies on the azobenzene derivative based phase transitions mostly rely on photoisomerization, which require a long time to spontaneously revert back. Here we show a photothermal-driven solid-to-liquid transition and fast reversion of azobenzene derivatives. Owing to the aggregation of suitably substituted azobenzenes, solid-to-liquid transitions can be induced by photothermal effects under irradiation with green light. The liquid-state azobenzene derivatives spontaneously solidify again within 2 min due to heat release in a purely physical fashion. One thus obtains a perfectly reversible adhesion with a strength as high as that of commercial materials. Our work affords a novel concept to construct reversible adhesives via phase transitions of organic compounds induced by light.
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