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Conformer-dependent self-assembled metallacycles with photo-reversible response
Mengqi Li1, Li-Jun Chen2, Zhipeng Zhang1
1Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials , Institute of Fine Chemicals , Shanghai Key Laboratory of Functional Materials Chemistry , Joint International Research Laboratory of Precision Chemistry and Molecular Engineering , Feringa Nobel Prize Scientist Joint Research Center , School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering , East China University of Science and Technology , Shanghai 200237 , China .
Chemical Science
|June 5, 2019
Summary
Researchers developed novel photoactive metallacycles using diarylethene (DAE) conformers. These light-responsive structures offer controllable shapes and improved performance for smart materials applications.
Area of Science:
- Supramolecular Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Photochemistry
Background:
- Traditional stimuli-responsive metallacycles often rely on spontaneous coordination bonds.
- Existing light-driven self-assembly systems face challenges with photon utilization and fatigue resistance.
- Limited research explores conformer-dependent self-assembly in photochromic diarylethene (DAE) systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To construct and characterize novel photoactive conformer-dependent metallacycles.
- To compare the self-assembly behaviors of parallel and anti-parallel DAE conformers with di-platinum(II) acceptors.
- To investigate the photoswitchable control over scaffold size and shape.
Main Methods:
- Coordination-driven self-assembly of photochromic DAE ligands with di-platinum(II) acceptors.
- Characterization of metallacycles formed by anti-parallel (ap-) and parallel (p-) DAE conformers.
- Photoirradiation studies using UV and visible light to induce reversible transformations.
Main Results:
- Successfully synthesized conformer-dependent metallacycles with precisely controlled photoswitchable scaffold sizes and shapes.
- Anti-parallel conformers formed larger hexagon [6+6] or [3+3] structures, while parallel conformers yielded smaller polygons.
- Demonstrated reversible photo-switching between ring-open and ring-closed anti-parallel metallacycles with high conversion ratios and good fatigue resistance.
Conclusions:
- This work presents a novel approach to designing photoactive metallacycles by leveraging different DAE conformers.
- The developed systems exhibit controllable structural changes and enhanced photostability.
- These findings offer potential for creating advanced smart materials for sensing, catalysis, and drug delivery.
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