Photoinduced Reversible Solid-to-Liquid Transitions and Directional Photofluidization of Azobenzene-containing Polymers

Photoinduced reversible liquefaction and solidification of polymers enable processing and healing of polymers with light. Some azobenzene-containing polymers(azopolymers) exhibit two types of photoinduced liquefaction properties: photoinduced reversible solid-toliquid transition and directional photofluidization. For the first type, light switches the glass transition temperature(Tg) values of azopolymers and induces reversible solid-to-liquid transitions. For the second type, polarized light gu...     

Photoswitchable and Reversible Fluorescent Eutectogels for Conformal Information Encryption

Smart fluorescent materials that can respond to environmental stimuli are of great importance in the fields of information encryption and anti-counterfeiting. However, traditional fluorescent materials usually face problems such as lack of tunable fluorescence and insufficient surface-adaptive adhesion, hindering their practical applications. Herein, inspired by the glowing sucker octopus, we present a novel strategy to fabricate a reversible fluorescent eutectogel with high transparency, adhesive and self-healing performance for conformal information encryption and anti-counterfeiting. Using anthracene as luminescent unit, the eutectogel exhibits photoswitchable fluorescence and can therefore be reversibly written/erased with patterns by non-contact stimulation. Additionally, different from mechanically irreversible adhesion via glue, the eutectogel can adhere to various irregular substrates over a wide temperature range (−20 to 65 °C) and conformally deform more than 1000 times without peeling off. Furthermore, by exploiting surface-adaptive adhesion, high transparency and good stretchability of the eutectogel, dual encryption can be achieved under UV and stretching conditions to further improve the security level. This study should provide a promising strategy for the future development of advanced intelligent anti-counterfeiting materials.     

Effects of Spacers on Photoinduced Reversible Solid-to-Liquid Transitions of Azobenzene-Containing Polymers

Photoisomerization in some azobenzene-containing polymers (azopolymers) results in reversible solid-to-liquid transitions because trans- and cis-azopolymers have different glass transition temperatures. This property enables photoinduced healing and processing of azopolymers with high spatiotemporal resolution. However, a general lack of knowledge about the influence of the polymer structure on photoinduced reversible solid-to-liquid transitions hinders the design of such novel polymers. Herein, the synthesis and photoresponsive behavior of new azopolymers with different lengths of spacers between the polymer backbone and the azobenzene group on the side chain are reported. Azopolymers with no and 20 methylene spacers did not show photoinduced solid-to-liquid transitions. Azopolymers with 6 or 12 methylene spacers showed photoinduced solid-to-liquid transitions. This study demonstrates that spacers are essential for azopolymers with photoinduced reversible solid-to-liquid transitions, and thus, gives an insight into how to design azopolymers for photoinduced healing and processing.     

Photoswitchable Enantioselective and Helix-Sense Controlled Living Polymerization

A pair of enantiomeric photoswitchable Pd^II catalysts, alkyne-Pd^II/ L ^R−azo and alkyne-Pd^II/ L ^S−azo, were prepared via the coordination of alkyne-Pd^II and azobenzene-modified phosphine ligands L ^R−azo and L ^S−azo. Owing to the cis-trans photoisomerization of the azobenzene moiety, alkyne-Pd^II/ L ^R−azo and alkyne-Pd^II/ L ^S−azo exhibited different polymerization activities, helix-sense selectivities, and enantioselectivities during the polymerization of isocyanide monomers under irradiation of different wavelength lights. Furthermore, the achiral isocyanide monomer A- 1 could be polymerized efficiently using alkyne-Pd^II/ L ^R−azo under dark condition in a living/controlled manner. Further, it generated single right-handed helical poly-A- 1 _m( L ^R−azo), confirmed by the circular dichroism spectra and atomic force microscopy images. However, the polymerization of A- 1 almost could not be initiated under 420 nm light in identical conditions of dark condition. Moreover, the photoswitchable catalyst alkyne-Pd^II/ L ^R−azo exhibited high enantioselectivity for the polymerization of the racemates of L- 1 and D- 1 , respectively. D- 1 was polymerized preferentially under dark condition with a D- 1 /L- 1 rate ratio of 70, yielding single right-handed polyisocyanides. Additionally, reversible enantioselectivity was observed under 420 nm light using alkyne-Pd^II/ L ^R−azo, and the calculated polymerization rate ratio of L- 1 /D- 1 was 57 because of the isomerization of the azobenzene moiety of the catalyst. Furthermore, alkyne-Pd^II/ L ^S−azo showed opposite enantioselectivity and helix-sense selectivity during the polymerization of the racemates of L- 1 and D- 1 .     

Photoinduced Reversible Solid‐to‐Liquid Transitions for Photoswitchable Materials

Heating and cooling can induce reversible solid‐to‐liquid transitions of matter. In contrast, athermal photochemical processes can induce reversible solid‐to‐liquid transitions of some newly developed azobenzene compounds. Azobenzene is photoswitchable. UV light induces trans‐to‐cis isomerization; visible light or heat induces cis‐to‐trans isomerization. Trans and cis isomers usually have different melting points (T_m) or glass transition temperatures (T_g). If T_m or T_g of an azobenzene compound in trans and cis forms are above and below room temperature, respectively, light may induce reversible solid‐to‐liquid transitions. In this Review, we introduce azobenzene compounds that exhibit photoinduced reversible solid‐to‐liquid transitions, discuss the mechanisms and design principles, and show their potential applications in healable coatings, adhesives, transfer printing, lithography, actuators, fuels, and gas separation. Finally, we discuss remaining challenges in this field.     

Inside Back Cover: Rigid-Flexible Hybrid Porous Molecular Crystals with Guest-Induced Reversible Crystallinity (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 13/2023)

A weak CH/O hydrogen-bonded organic framework (HOF) with both rigidity and flexibility that could easily and reversibly switch from a non-crystalline to a crystalline phase was constructed. The specific solvent molecule acts as a “key” to control the crystallinity, while the highly rigid triangle macrocycle as the building block is the “lock”. The introduction and removal of the “key” could influence the local flexibility of the whole framework and lead to switchable crystallinity. Furthermore, the obtained HOF exhibits excellent separation efficiency for benzene and cyclohexane (94.4 %).     

Advanced Materials: Trends and Possibilities in Liquid Crystalline Polymers

During the past ten years there has been a sharp increase in interest in the opportunities afforded by R & D in the field of specialty polymers. Interest is mainly being shown in two distinct categories of polymers, namely, (a) polymers which are used in very small quantities to fulfill critical needs as a part of device system, and (b) high-performance engineering polymers which significantly extend their mechanical and thermal properties for structural applications. The first category ranges from advanced resists and insulating layers for microelectronic devices to membranes for filtration systems. The second category encompasses improved matrices for advanced composites as well as liquid crystalline polymers. In the present paper an overview is first given of the emerging opportunities for advanced materials and particularly specialty polymers. The status of work on liquid crystalline copolyesters is then discussed with special emphasis on one of the major problems confronting this field, namely interpreting the microstructure of the copolyesters.     

Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer radical copolymerization of β-pinene and methyl acrylate

The feasibility of radical copolymerization of β-pinene and methyl acrylate (MA) was clarified for the first time. The monomer reactivity ratios were evaluated by Fineman-Ross, Kelen-Tudos and non-linear methods, respectively. The obtained values were r_β-pinene ∼ 0 and r_MA ∼ 1.3, indicating that the copolymerization led to polymers rich in methyl acrylate units and randomly alternated by single β-pinene unit. The addition of Lewis acid Et₂AlCl to the AIBN-initiated copolymerization enhanced the incorporation of β-pinene. Furthermore, the possible controlled copolymerization of β-pinene and MA was then attempted via the reversible addition-fragmentation transfer (RAFT) technique. The copolymerization (f_β-pinene = 0.1) using 1-methoxycarbonyl ethyl dithiobenzoate (MEDB) as a RAFT agent gave copolymers with lower molecular weight and narrower molecular weight distribution. However, the presence of MEDB strongly retarded the copolymerization. Thus a new RAFT agent 1-methoxycarbonyl ethyl phenyldithioacetate (MEPD), which gives a less stable macroradical intermediate than MEDB, was synthesized and introduced to the copolymerization. As anticipated, a much smaller retardation was observed. Moreover, the copolymerization displayed a somewhat controlled features within a certain overall conversion (<∼40%).     

Modulating Ligand-Exchange Dynamics on Metal-Organic Polyhedra for Reversible Sorting and Hybridization of Miktoarm Star Polymers

The precise synthesis of miktoarm star polymers (MSPs) remains one of the great challenges in synthetic chemistry due to the difficulty in locating appropriate structural templates and polymer grafting/growing strategies with high selectivity and efficiency. Herein, ≈2 nm metal-organic polyhedra (MOPs), constructed from the coordination of isophthalic acid (IPA) and Cu²⁺, are applied as templates for the precise synthesis of 24-arm MSPs for their unique logarithmic ligand-exchange dynamics. Six different polymers are prepared with IPA as an end group and they further coordinated with Cu²⁺ to afford the corresponding 24-arm star homo-polymers. MSPs can be obtained by mixing targeted homo-arm star polymers in solutions upon thermal annealing. The compositions of MSPs can be facilely and precisely tuned by the recipe of the star polymer mixtures used. Interestingly, the obtained MSPs can be sorted into homo-arm star polymers through a typical solvent extraction procedure. The hybridization and sorting process can be reversibly conducted through the cycle of thermal annealing and solvent treatment. The complex coordination framework not only opens new avenues for the facile and precise synthesis of MSPs and MOPs with hybrid functionalities, but also provides the capability to design sustainable polymer systems.     

Polymers with Intrinsic Microporosity as Solid Ion Conductors for Solid-State Lithium Batteries

Solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) with high ionic conductivity and superior stability are considered to be a key technology for the safe operation of solid-state lithium batteries. However, current SSEs are incapable of meeting the requirements for practical solid-state lithium batteries. Here we report a general strategy for achieving high-performance SSEs by engineering polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs). Taking advantage of the interconnected ion pathways generated from the ionizable groups, high ionic conductivity (1.06×10⁻³ S cm⁻¹ at 25 °C) is achieved for the PIMs-based SSEs. The mechanically strong (50.0 MPa) and non-flammable SSEs combine the two superiorities of outstanding Li⁺ conductivity and electrochemical stability, which can restrain the dendrite growth and prevent Li symmetric batteries from short-circuiting even after more than 2200 h cycling. Benefiting from the rational design of SSEs, PIMs-based SSEs Li-metal batteries can achieve good cycling performance and superior feasibility in a series of withstand abuse tests including bending, cutting, and penetration. Moreover, the PIMs-based SSEs endow high specific capacity (11307 mAh g⁻¹) and long-term discharge/charge stability (247 cycles) for solid-state Li−O₂ batteries. The PIMs-based SSEs present a powerful strategy for enabling safe operation of high-energy solid-state batteries.     

A Breathing Zirconium Metal–Organic Framework with Reversible Loss of Crystallinity by Correlated Nanodomain Formation

The isoreticular analogue of the metal–organic framework UiO‐66(Zr), synthesized with the flexible trans‐1,4‐cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid as linker, shows a peculiar breathing behavior by reversibly losing long‐range crystalline order upon evacuation. The underlying flexibility is attributed to a concerted conformational contraction of up to two thirds of the linkers, which breaks the local lattice symmetry. X‐ray scattering data are described well by a nanodomain model in which differently oriented tetragonal‐type distortions propagate over about 7–10 unit cells.     

Reversible Amidation Chemistry Enables Closed-Loop Chemical Recycling of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites to Monomers and Fibers

Highly efficient recycling of carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites into monomers and fibers is a formidable challenge. Herein, we present a closed-loop recycling approach for carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites using reversible amidation chemistry, which enables the complete recovery of intact carbon fibers and pure monomers. The polymer network, synthesized by amidation between a macromonomer linear polyethyleneimine and a bifunctional maleic anhydride cross-linker, serves as a matrix for the construction of composites with exceptional mechanical properties, thermal stability and solvent resistance. The matrices can be fully depolymerized under the acidic condition at ambient temperature, allowing the effective separation and recovery of both carbon fibers and the two monomers. The reclaimed carbon fibers retain nearly identical mechanical properties to pristine ones, while pure monomers are recycled with high separation yields (>93 %). They can be reused in for multiple cycles for the manufacture of new composites, whose mechanical properties recover over 95 % of their original properties. This line of research presents a promising approach for the design of high-performance and sustainable thermoset composites, offering significant environmental and economic benefits.     

A spiropyran with enhanced fluorescence: A bright,photostable and red-emitting calcium sensor

A rationally designed, pyrene-spiropyran hybrid Ca²⁺ sensor (Py-1) with enhanced fluorescence intensity compared to a standalone spiropyran analogue is presented. Importantly, Py-1 retains the characteristic red emission profile of the spiropyran, while fibre-based photostability studies show the sensor is stable after multiple cycles of photoswitching, without any sign of photodegradation. Such properties are of real advantage for cell-based sensing applications. An interesting observation is that, Py-1 presents with two excitation options; direct green excitation (532 nm) of the photoswitch for a red emission, and UV excitation (344 nm) of the component pyrene, which gives rise to distinct blue and red emissions. This proof-of-concept hybrid sensing system presents as a more general approach to brighter spiropyran-based sensors.     

（甲基）丙烯酸多环脂基酯单体及其聚合物

介绍部分(甲基)丙烯酸多环脂基酯及其聚合物的合成、性质与用途。     

Reversible Carrier‐Type Transitions in Gas‐Sensing Oxides and Nanostructures

Despite many important applications of α‐Fe₂O₃ and Fe doped SnO₂ in semiconductors, catalysis, sensors, clinical diagnosis and treatments, one fundamental issue that is crucial to these applications remains theoretically equivocal—the reversible carrier‐type transition between n‐ and p‐type conductivities during gas‐sensing operations. Herein, we present an unambiguous and rigorous theoretical analysis in order to explain why and how the oxygen vacancies affect the n‐type semiconductors α‐Fe₂O₃ and Fe‐doped SnO₂, in which they are both electronically and chemically transformed into a p‐type semiconductor. Furthermore, this reversible transition also occurs on the oxide surfaces during gas‐sensing operation due to physisorbed gas molecules (without any chemical reaction). We make use of the ionization energy theory and its renormalized ionic displacement polarizability functional to reclassify, generalize and explain the concept of carrier‐type transition in solids, and during gas‐sensing operation. The origin of such a transition is associated with the change in ionic polarizability and the valence states of cations in the presence of oxygen vacancies and physisorped gas molecules.     

Palladium(II) Complexes of 1-Phosphaisoprene Molecules and Polymers: Reversible Cross-Linking of a Phosphorus-Containing Polymer

The anionic polymerization of 1-phosphaisoprene [Mes*P=C(Me)−CH=CH₂ (E- 1 )] affords poly(1-phosphaisoprene) 2 in high yield (75 %). Concentrated solutions of polymer 2 (M_n=21,800 g mol⁻¹; Đ=1.02) a P-analogue of natural rubber, undergo gelation upon treatment with [Pd(cod)Cl₂] (0.15 P equiv). Evidence for P-coordination of 2 to Pd^II was obtained by ³¹P and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The gelation is reversed by the addition of PMe₃ and the reformation of recoverable 2 along with [Pd^II−PMe₃] complexes were confirmed by ³¹P NMR spectroscopy. The use of labile metal-ligand bonds to reversibly form gels is unprecedented and has relevance to self-healing materials. In contrast, coordination of 2 to [Pd(η³-C₃H₅)(μ-Cl)]₂ affords the well-defined complex 2 ⋅ [Pd(η³-C₃H₅)Cl] which was characterized by ³¹P, ¹H, ¹³C{¹H} NMR spectroscopy and GPC. This polymer chemistry was complemented by detailed molecular model studies of the coordination chemistry of monomer 1-phosphaisoprene E- 1 with [Pd(cod)Cl₂] and [Pd(η³-C₃H₅)(μ-Cl)]₂].     

Cross-linking of Polymer of Intrinsic Microporosity (PIM-1) via nitrene reaction and its effect on gas transport property

Polymer of Intrinsic Microporosity (i.e. PIM-1) has been crosslinked thermally via nitrene reaction using polyethylene glycol biazide (PEG-biazide) as a crosslinker. The crosslinking temperature was optimized using TGA coupled with FT-IR spectroscopy. The dense membranes containing different ratios of PIM-1 to PEG-biazide were cast from chloroform solution. Crosslinking of PIM-1 renders it insoluble even in excellent solvents for the uncrosslinked polymer. The resulting crosslinked membranes were characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, TGA and gel content analysis. The influence of crosslinker content on the gas transport properties of PIM-1, its density and fractional free volume (FFV) were investigated. Compared to the pure PIM-1 membrane, the crosslinked PIM-1 membranes showed better gas separation performance especially for CO₂/N₂, CO₂/CH₄ and propylene/propane (C₃H₆/C₃H₈) gas pairs and as well as suppressed penetrant-induced plasticization under high CO₂ pressure.     

Photoswitchable Sol–Gel Transitions and Catalysis Mediated by Polymer Networks with Coumarin‐Decorated Cu24L24 Metal–Organic Cages as Junctions

Photoresponsive materials that change in response to light have been studied for a range of applications. These materials are often metastable during irradiation, returning to their pre‐irradiated state after removal of the light source. Herein, we report a polymer gel comprising poly(ethylene glycol) star polymers linked by Cu₂₄L₂₄ metal–organic cages/polyhedra (MOCs) with coumarin ligands. In the presence of UV light, a photosensitizer, and a hydrogen donor, this “polyMOC” material can be reversibly switched between Cu^II, Cu^I, and Cu⁰. The instability of the MOC junctions in the Cu^I and Cu⁰ states leads to network disassembly, forming Cu^I/Cu⁰ solutions, respectively, that are stable until re‐oxidation to Cu^II and supramolecular gelation. This reversible disassembly of the polyMOC network can occur in the presence of a fixed covalent second network generated in situ by copper‐catalyzed azide‐alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC), providing interpenetrating supramolecular and covalent networks.     

Homo- and copolymerizaton of norbornene and norbornene derivative with Ni- and Pd-based β-ketoiminato complexes and MAO

Neutral nickel(II) and palladium(II) complexes bearing β-ketoiminato ligand have been synthesized. The two complexes have been investigated as catalyst for the polymerization. Using methylaluminoxane (MAO) as a cocatalyst, both complexes produce vinyl-addition polynorbornenes, but palladium(II) complex displays much higher activity up to 8.0 × 10⁷ g/(molPd h). Furthermore, both Ni(II) and Pd(II)/MAO system can efficiently copolymerize norbornene and 5-norbornene-2-yl acetate (NB-OCOMe) in moderate yields and in relatively high molecular weights. The analyses of the product by FTIR, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR spectra give the verification of vinyl addition copolymer. The copolymers show narrow molecular weight distribution and good solubility in common organic solvents.     

Copolymers of 2-Deoxy-2-Methacrylamido-D-Glucose with Aminoacrylates and Allylamine Hydrochloride

New polyvinylsaccharides containing primary or tertiary amino groups were synthesized by radical copolymerization of 2-deoxy-2-methacrylamido-D-glucose (MAG) with 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate, 2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DEAEM), or allylamine hydrochloride. The reactivity ratios of comonomers were determined. The effect of copolymer composition on the conformational properties of macromolecules was detected. For MAG-DEAEM copolymers with DEAEM unit content more than 60 mol-% the increase of degree of ionization causes conformational transition at α = 0.3 to 0.7 from compact polymer coil to loose coil due to the electrostatic repulsion of charged amino groups. The increase of MAG content in copolymers is accompanied by a decrease of their cytotoxicity.