Switchable Ternary Nanoporous Supramolecular Network on Photo-Regulation

• Published in: Nano letters Vol. 11; no. 8; pp. 3245 - 3250
• Main Authors: Shen, Yong-Tao, Deng, Ke, Zhang, Xue-Mei, Feng, Wei, Zeng, Qing-Dao, Wang, Chen, Gong, Jian Ru
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 10.08.2011
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Chemical synthesis methods; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Control; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Electronics; Encapsulation; Exact sciences and technology; Holes; Low-dimensional structures (superlattices, quantum well structures, multilayers): structure, and nonelectronic properties; Materials science; Methods of nanofabrication; Molecular electronics, nanoelectronics; Nanocrystalline materials; Nanostructure; Nanotechnology devices; Networks; Photosensitivity; Physics; Radiation effects on specific materials; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Strategy; Structure of solids and liquids; crystallography; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Switching theory; azobenzene; macrocycle molecules; Photoregulation; supramolecular network; Radiation effects; Supramolecular structure; Template reaction; Nanostructures; Coronene; Macrocycle; Nanoporosity; Nanoelectronics
• ISSN: 1530-6984; 1530-6992
• DOI: 10.1021/nl201504x

Controlled regulation of the switchable behavior of the supramolecular network is central to the potential application in the molecular scale nanodevices. In this work, it is reported that the reversible accommodation of the guest molecules in the nanoporous supramolecular network can be regulated by the UV/visible light. The nanoporous complex template of TCDB/4NN-Macrocycle(trans,trans,trans,trans) with photosensitive units is well-defined. After the UV irradiation, the template can be switched on to encapsulate coronene molecules due to the formation of a new photoisomer(trans,cis,trans,cis) and switched off to expel coronene from the inner cavities under the visible light. The photoregulated switchable multicomponent supramolecular guest–host network provides a novel strategy for fabricating the functional nanodevices at the molecular scale.