The temperature-controllable photomechanical behavior of α-isocyanostilbene derivative

Abstract

Crystals of α-isocyanostilbene show temperature-selective photomechanical behavior. At ambient temperature, they exhibit bending without splitting or changing position under UV light, while below −50 °C, they show splitting upon photoirradiation. A 1H NMR study revealed that the control of the photomechanical response, i.e., bending or splitting, originates from the increased photodimerization yield upon decreasing the temperature.