TY - JOUR
T1 - Regulating photosalient behavior in dynamic metal-organic crystals
AU - Khan, Samim
AU - Dutta, Basudeb
AU - Naaz, Sanobar
AU - Choudhury, Aditya
AU - Cazade, Pierre Andre
AU - Kiely, Emma
AU - Guerin, Sarah
AU - Medishetty, Raghavender
AU - Mir, Mohammad Hedayetullah
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, The Author(s).
PY - 2023/12
Y1 - 2023/12
N2 - Dynamic photoactuating crystals have become a sensation due to their potential applications in developing smart medical devices, molecular machines, artificial muscles, flexible electronics actuators, probes and microrobots. Here we report the synthesis of two iso-structural metal-organic crystals, [Zn(4-ohbz)2(4-nvp)2] (1) and [Cd(4-ohbz)2(4-nvp)2] (2) {H4-ohbz = 4-hydroxy benzoic acid; 4-nvp = 4-(1-naphthylvinyl)pyridine} which undergo topochemical [2 + 2] cycloaddition under UV irradiation as well as sunlight to generate a dimerized product of discrete metal-complex [Zn(4-ohbz)2(rctt-4-pncb)] {rctt-4-pncb = 1,3-bis(4′-pyridyl)-2,4-bis(naphthyl)cyclobutane} (1′) and one-dimensional coordination polymer (1D CP) [Cd(4-ohbz)2(rctt-4-pncb)] (2′) respectively, in a single-crystal-to-single-crystal (SCSC) process. The Zn-based compound demonstrates photosalient behaviour, wherein crystals show jumping, splitting, rolling, and swelling upon UV irradiation. However, the Cd-based crystals do not show such behaviour maintaining the initial supramolecular packing and space group. Thus the photomechanical behaviour can be induced by choosing a suitable metal ion. The above findings are thoroughly validated by quantitative density functional theory (DFT) calculations which show that the Zn-based crystal shifts towards an orthorhombic structure to resolve the anisotropic UV-induced mechanical strain. Furthermore, the mechano-structure-property relationship has been established by complimentary nanoindentation measurements, which are in-line with the DFT-predicted single crystal values.
AB - Dynamic photoactuating crystals have become a sensation due to their potential applications in developing smart medical devices, molecular machines, artificial muscles, flexible electronics actuators, probes and microrobots. Here we report the synthesis of two iso-structural metal-organic crystals, [Zn(4-ohbz)2(4-nvp)2] (1) and [Cd(4-ohbz)2(4-nvp)2] (2) {H4-ohbz = 4-hydroxy benzoic acid; 4-nvp = 4-(1-naphthylvinyl)pyridine} which undergo topochemical [2 + 2] cycloaddition under UV irradiation as well as sunlight to generate a dimerized product of discrete metal-complex [Zn(4-ohbz)2(rctt-4-pncb)] {rctt-4-pncb = 1,3-bis(4′-pyridyl)-2,4-bis(naphthyl)cyclobutane} (1′) and one-dimensional coordination polymer (1D CP) [Cd(4-ohbz)2(rctt-4-pncb)] (2′) respectively, in a single-crystal-to-single-crystal (SCSC) process. The Zn-based compound demonstrates photosalient behaviour, wherein crystals show jumping, splitting, rolling, and swelling upon UV irradiation. However, the Cd-based crystals do not show such behaviour maintaining the initial supramolecular packing and space group. Thus the photomechanical behaviour can be induced by choosing a suitable metal ion. The above findings are thoroughly validated by quantitative density functional theory (DFT) calculations which show that the Zn-based crystal shifts towards an orthorhombic structure to resolve the anisotropic UV-induced mechanical strain. Furthermore, the mechano-structure-property relationship has been established by complimentary nanoindentation measurements, which are in-line with the DFT-predicted single crystal values.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85165271086&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s42004-023-00951-0
DO - 10.1038/s42004-023-00951-0
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85165271086
SN - 2399-3669
VL - 6
SP - 150
JO - Communications Chemistry
JF - Communications Chemistry
IS - 1
M1 - 150
ER -