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Bidirectional Photomodulation of Surface Tension in Langmuir Films
Author(s) -
Cheng Jinling,
Štacko Peter,
Rudolf Petra,
Gengler Régis Y. N.,
Feringa Ben L.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
angewandte chemie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1521-3757
pISSN - 0044-8249
DOI - 10.1002/ange.201611187
Subject(s) - monolayer , photoisomerization , amphiphile , dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine , diacetylene , surface tension , chemical physics , molecule , surface pressure , materials science , supramolecular chemistry , chemistry , nanotechnology , cooperativity , isomerization , polymerization , organic chemistry , membrane , catalysis , thermodynamics , physics , phospholipid , biochemistry , polymer , phosphatidylcholine , mechanics , copolymer
Switching systems operating in a cooperative manner capable of converting light energy into mechanical motion are of great interest for optical devices, data storage, nanoscale energy converters and molecular sensing. Herein, photoswitchable monolayers were formed at the air–water interface from either a pure bis(thiaxanthylidene)‐based photoswitchable amphiphile or from a mixture of the photoswitchable amphiphile with a conventional lipid dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC). Efficient photoisomerization of the anti ‐folded to syn ‐folded geometry of the amphiphile's central core induces changes in the surface pressure in either direction, depending on the initial molecular density. Additionally, the switching behavior can be regulated in the presence of DPPC, which influences the packing of the molecules, thereby controlling the transformation upon irradiation. Bis(thiaxanthylidene)‐based photoswitchable monolayers provide a promising system to explore cooperativity and amplification of motion.