Photo-driven morphological transformations of supramolecular polymers actuated by an overcrowded alkene switch

Abstract

A novel light-responsive supramolecular polymer was demonstrated from an overcrowded alkene switch (OAS) mounted with two rigid 2-ureido-4-pyrimidinone (UPy) groups. By strong quadruple hydrogen bonding interactions, transOAS-Upy could form well-defined nanospheres in chloroform, which would be transformed into worm-like assemblies after UV irradiation. Moreover, the inverse process of this system could be achieved by exposure to heat.