Light‐ and Solvent‐Controlled Self‐Assembly Behavior of Spiropyran–Polyoxometalate–Alkyl Hybrid Molecules |
| |
| Authors: | Yang Chu Dr Ali Saad Dr Panchao Yin Jiayingzi Wu Dr Olivier Oms Dr Anne Dolbecq Prof?Dr Pierre Mialane Prof?Dr Tianbo Liu |
| |
| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Polymer Science, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA;2. Institut Lavoisier de Versailles, UMR 8180, Université Paris-Saclay, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin, Versailles Cedex, France |
| |
| Abstract: | A molecular photochromic spiropyran–polyoxometalate–alkyl organic–inorganic hybrid has been synthesized and fully characterized. The reversible switching of the hydrophobic spiropyran fragment to the hydrophilic merocyanine one can be easily achieved under light irradiation at different wavelengths. This switch changes the amphiphilic feature of the hybrid, leading to a light‐controlled self‐assembly behavior in solution. It has been shown that the hybrid can reversibly self‐assemble into vesicles in polar solvents and irreversibly into reverse vesicles in non‐polar solvents. The sizes of the vesicles and the reverse vesicles are both tunable by the polarity of the solvent, with the hydrophobic interactions being the main driving force. |
| |
| Keywords: | organic– inorganic hybrids photoswitchable compounds polyoxometalates self-assembly spiropyranes |
|
|
