Photo-induced mode change for CO₂ capture/release on spiropyran in a polar-gradient environment

Photo-induced mode change of CO₂ capture/release was achieved by a rationally designed system composed of spiropyran introduced into a polar-gradient field in the interlayer of montmorillonite. DFT calculations and CO₂ adsorption tests demonstrated that spiropyran can interact with CO₂ through not only weak physical interaction such as Coulombic or van der Waals interactions but also electronic interaction, while photo-isomerized merocyanine was in the CO₂ release mode. Photo-induced CO₂ concentration systems highly contribute to the realization of carbon neutrality, hence, this study could be a breakthrough for the world's environmental issues.