Photomechanical behavior triggered by [2 + 2] cycloaddition and photochromism of a pyridinium-functionalized coordination complex

• Published in: Dalton transactions : an international journal of inorganic chemistry Vol. 51; no. 16; pp. 6157 - 6161
• Main Authors: Chen, Yun-Rui, Jia, Meng-Ze, Pan, Jia-Qi, Tan, Bin, Zhang, Jie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Royal Society of Chemistry 20.04.2022
• Subjects: Actuators; Bending machines; Coordination compounds; Cycloaddition; Photochromism
• ISSN: 1477-9226; 1477-9234
• DOI: 10.1039/d2dt00599a

Photoinduced bending behavior triggered by [2 + 2] cycloaddition of a photoactive complex has been successfully achieved, accompanied by photochromic and fluorescence changes that provide convenience for long-distance observation of photomechanical motion. The key design feature is based on the introduction of flexible methylene groups and cation-π interactions. Moreover, the potential application in photomechanical devices was reflected by bending and supporting force experiments on the complex composite film, which is of increasing importance especially in soft actuators and robots. Photomechanical motion triggered by [2 + 2] cycloaddition as well as simultaneous photochromic and fluorescence changes has been achieved by introducing flexible methylene groups and cation-π interactions into a pyridinium-based coordination complex.