Lewis acid and base triggered molecular switch

Abstract

A new kind of trigger for molecular switch has been developed using a photochromic spirooxazine derivative as a template system. It is found that the ring-opening and ring-closing interconversion of spirooxazine derivative can be performed by Lewis acid and base trigger instead of photoinducement. With Lewis acid trigger, the ring-closing species converts to ring-opening species via formation of a complex, and the complexed ring-opening species is thermal stable and photoinactive. Meanwhile, the complexed ring-opening species converts completely back to ring-closing species by decomplexation with Lewis base trigger, and the interconversion between ring-opening and ring-closing species can be cycled.