Designing P-type bi-stable overcrowded alkene-based chiroptical photoswitches
Jinyu Sheng, Wojciech Danowski, Stefano Crespi, Ainoa Guinart, Xiaobing Chen, Cosima Stähler, Ben L. Feringa
Abstract
, for controlling molecular motion, modulation of material chiroptical properties and supramolecular assembly. However, the lack of general design principles, along with the challenging synthesis of these molecules, precludes full exploitation of their dynamic structures. Therefore, systematic investigations of the key parameters are crucial for the further development of these systems. Here we provide a facile alternative synthetic route, elucidate the influence of substituents on the photochemistry of overcrowded alkene-derived bistable chiroptical photoswitches, and show nearly quantitative bidirectional photoswitching. The established structure-property relationship constitutes a practical guideline for the design of these photochromes tailored to a specific application.