Issue 20, 2023

Photoinduced crystal melting with luminescence evolution based on conformational isomerisation

Abstract

The phenomenon of crystal melting by light irradiation, known as photo-induced crystal-to-liquid transition (PCLT), can dramatically change material properties with high spatiotemporal resolution. However, the diversity of compounds exhibiting PCLT is severely limited, which hampers further functionalisation of PCLT-active materials and the fundamental understandings of PCLT. Here, we report on heteroaromatic 1,2-diketones as the new class of PCLT-active compounds, whose PCLT is based on conformational isomerisation. In particular, one of the diketones demonstrates luminescence evolution prior to crystal melting. Thus, the diketone crystal exhibits dynamic multistep changes in the luminescence colour and intensity during continuous ultraviolet irradiation. This luminescence evolution can be ascribed to the sequential PCLT processes of crystal loosening and conformational isomerisation before macroscopic melting. Single-crystal X-ray structural analysis, thermal analysis, and theoretical calculations of two PCLT-active and one inactive diketones revealed weaker intermolecular interactions for the PCLT-active crystals. In particular, we observed a characteristic packing motif for the PCLT-active crystals, consisting of an ordered layer of diketone core and a disordered layer of triisopropylsilyl moieties. Our results demonstrate the integration of photofunction with PCLT, provide fundamental insights into the melting process of molecular crystals, and will diversify the molecular design of PCLT-active materials beyond classical photochromic scaffolds such as azobenzenes.

Graphical abstract: Photoinduced crystal melting with luminescence evolution based on conformational isomerisation

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
15 fev 2023
Accepted
19 apr 2023
First published
20 apr 2023
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY license

Chem. Sci., 2023,14, 5302-5308

Photoinduced crystal melting with luminescence evolution based on conformational isomerisation

M. Komura, H. Sotome, H. Miyasaka, T. Ogawa and Y. Tani, Chem. Sci., 2023, 14, 5302 DOI: 10.1039/D3SC00838J

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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