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Amphiphilic Azo-Functionalized Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane; Synthesis and Photo-Switched Efficient Phase
Bagher Eftekhari-Sis1, Nasim Amirpour1, Aylar Naderahmadian1
1Department of Chemistry, University of Maragheh, Golshahr, P.O.Box, 55181-83111, Maragheh, Iran.
Chempluschem
|December 28, 2023
Summary
A novel amphiphilic azo-functionalized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) effectively encapsulates cationic dyes. UV light triggers isomerization, reducing encapsulation by altering the POSS structure and dye interaction.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Supramolecular Chemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) are versatile nanoscale building blocks.
- Amphiphilic molecules with photoresponsive units offer tunable properties.
- Developing efficient phase transfer reagents is crucial for separation processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize a new amphiphilic azo-functionalized POSS derivative.
- To investigate its capability for encapsulating and transferring cationic dyes.
- To explore the photo-controlled behavior of this phase transfer reagent.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of octa(3-aminopropyl)silsesquioxane (OAS-POSS) derivative.
- Functionalization with 4-((4-(dodecyloxy)phenyl)diazenyl)benzoic acid.
- Dye encapsulation studies with cationic and anionic dyes.
- Photoisomerization studies using UV irradiation.
Main Results:
- High encapsulation efficiency (>95%) for cationic dyes like methylene blue (MB).
- Negligible encapsulation of anionic dyes.
- UV-induced trans/cis isomerization of the azo moiety significantly reduced dye encapsulation.
- Isomerization-induced structural changes (folding of dodecyl tail) hinder dye adsorption.
Conclusions:
- The synthesized azo-POSS acts as an effective phase transfer reagent for cationic dyes.
- The encapsulation process is photo-controllable via azo moiety isomerization.
- This system demonstrates potential for light-switchable separation and purification applications.
