Issue 18, 2019

Conformer-dependent self-assembled metallacycles with photo-reversible response

Abstract

Discrete, well-defined metallacycles and metallacages with stimuli-responsive behaviors have been largely predominated by the organic donor/metal acceptor paradigm with spontaneous formation of coordination bonds. However, light-driven self-assembly systems usually show relatively low utilization yield of photons and low fatigue resistance. Given that almost no example illustrates the different self-assembly behaviors of antiparallel and parallel conformers in the traditional photochromic diarylethene (DAE) system, here we have for the first time constructed a unique series of photoactive conformer-dependent metallacycles, focusing on the characterization and comparison of self-assembly behavior in different ligand conformers with different di-platinum(II) acceptors. Their photoswitchable scaffold sizes and shapes are precisely controlled by photochromically separable parallel or anti-parallel conformers via coordination-driven self-assembly. The ap-conformer and closed form provide larger bending angles upon coordination with di-Pt(II) acceptors into hexagon [6 + 6] or [3 + 3] while the p-conformer only can form smaller polygon cycles. Notably, in contrast with the non-photoactive parallel conformer, the reversible interconversion of anti-parallel ring-open and ring-closed conformer metallacycles can be achieved by alternate irradiation with UV and visible light, respectively, along with a relatively high conversion ratio and good fatigue resistance. This work provides a potential way to construct smart materials for use in sensing, catalysis and drug delivery systems.

Graphical abstract: Conformer-dependent self-assembled metallacycles with photo-reversible response

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
13 Feb 2019
Accepted
25 Mar 2019
First published
25 Mar 2019
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Chem. Sci., 2019,10, 4896-4904

Conformer-dependent self-assembled metallacycles with photo-reversible response

M. Li, L. Chen, Z. Zhang, Q. Luo, H. Yang, H. Tian and W. Zhu, Chem. Sci., 2019, 10, 4896 DOI: 10.1039/C9SC00757A

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