Photoinduced Pedalo‐Type Motion in an Azodicarboxamide‐Based Molecular Switch |
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| Authors: | Dr Saeed Amirjalayer Dr Alberto Martinez‐Cuezva Dr Jose Berna Prof?Dr Sander Woutersen Prof?Dr Wybren Jan Buma |
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| Institution: | 1. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Multiscale Theory and Computation, Westf?lische Wilhelms-Universit?t Münster, Münster, Germany;2. Center for Nanotechnology (CeNTech), Münster, Germany;3. Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain;4. Van't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Amsterdam, XH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands |
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| Abstract: | Well‐defined structural changes of molecular units that can be triggered by light are crucial for the development of photoactive functional materials. Herein, we report on a novel switch that has azodicarboxamide as its photo‐triggerable element. Time‐resolved UV‐pump/IR probe spectroscopy in combination with quantum‐chemical calculations shows that the azodicarboxamide functionality, in contrast to other azo‐based chromophores, does not undergo trans–cis photoisomerization. Instead, a photoinduced pedalo‐type motion occurs, which because of its volume‐conserving properties enables the design of functional molecular systems with controllable motion in a confined space. |
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| Keywords: | density functional theory molecular switches photochemistry photochromism time-resolved infrared spectroscopy |
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