Premium
Photoinduced Pedalo‐Type Motion in an Azodicarboxamide‐Based Molecular Switch
Author(s) -
Amirjalayer Saeed,
MartinezCuezva Alberto,
Berna Jose,
Woutersen Sander,
Buma Wybren Jan
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
angewandte chemie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1521-3757
pISSN - 0044-8249
DOI - 10.1002/ange.201709666
Subject(s) - photoisomerization , molecular switch , chromophore , spectroscopy , photochemistry , chemistry , molecule , translational motion , materials science , nanotechnology , isomerization , organic chemistry , catalysis , physics , classical mechanics , quantum mechanics
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.