Issue 18, 2024

All-visible-light-driven stiff-stilbene photoswitches

Abstract

Molecular photoswitches are potent tools to construct dynamic functional systems and responsive materials that can be controlled in a non-invasive manner. As P-type photoswitches, stiff-stilbenes attract increasing interest, owing to their superiority in quantum yield, significant geometric differences between isomers, excellent thermostability and robust switching behavior. Nevertheless, the UV-light-triggered photoisomerization of stiff-stilbenes has been a main drawback for decades as UV light is potentially harmful and has low penetration depth. Here, we provided a series of para-formylated stiff-stilbenes by Rieche ortho-formylation to achieve all-visible-light-responsiveness. Additional phenolic groups provide access to late-stage chemical modification facilitating design of molecules responsive to visible light. Remarkably, the photoisomerization of aldehyde-appended stiff-stilbenes could be fully manipulated using visible light, accompanied by a high photostationary state (PSS) distribution. These features render them excellent candidates for future visible-light-controllable smart materials and dynamic systems.

Graphical abstract: All-visible-light-driven stiff-stilbene photoswitches

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
09 Feb 2024
Accepted
27 Mar 2024
First published
27 Mar 2024
This article is Open Access

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

Chem. Sci., 2024,15, 6763-6769

All-visible-light-driven stiff-stilbene photoswitches

F. Xu, J. Sheng, C. N. Stindt, S. Crespi, W. Danowski, M. F. Hilbers, W. J. Buma and B. L. Feringa, Chem. Sci., 2024, 15, 6763 DOI: 10.1039/D4SC00983E

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