Anisotropic Acitive Transport by Photo-responsive Porous Single Crystals

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26630333
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Composite materials/Surface and interface engineering
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: SATO HIROSHI 東京大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 講師 (20598586)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 光異性化 / アゾベンゼン / 細孔 / 極性変化 / 配位高分子

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We demonstrated the impact of photo-switchable polarity on the guest accommodation in a Zr-based MOF containing azobenzene pendants (AzoMOF) . Upon exposure to light or heat, the azobenzene moieties in this AzoMOF exhibit a reversible and reproducible switching behavior in the crystalline nanopores. The prominent polarity alteration induced by cis/trans isomerizatons of azobenzene groups is visualized for the first time directly by using the polarity-sensitive dye erythrosine B as a molecular probe. This remarkable change of polarity in the crystalline nanopores is further reflected on the sorption events of CO2 in the AzoMOF. Our findings therefore shall provide a more profound understanding of the photochemical behavior of azobenzene moieties in porous crystalline materials.

Free Research Field

錯体化学