Donor‐acceptor Stenhouse adduct-polydimethylsiloxane-conjugates for enhanced photoswitching in bulk polymers

Clerc, Michèle and Tekin, Cem and Ulrich, Sebastian and Freire, Rafael V. M. and Salentinig, Stefan and Bruns, Nico and Boesel, Luciano F. (2022) Donor‐acceptor Stenhouse adduct-polydimethylsiloxane-conjugates for enhanced photoswitching in bulk polymers. Macromolecular Rapid Communications, 43 (15). 2200120. ISSN 1022-1336 (https://doi.org/10.1002/marc.202200120)

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Abstract

Donor–acceptor Stenhouse adducts (DASAs) are a rapidly emerging class of visible light-activated photochromes and DASA-functionalized polymers hold great promise as biocompatible photoresponsive materials. However, the photoswitching performance of DASAs in solid polymer matrices is often low, particularly in materials below their glass transition temperature. To overcome this limitation, DASAs are conjugated to polydimethylsiloxanes which have a glass transition temperature far below room temperature and which can create a mobile molecular environment around the DASAs for achieving more solution-like photoswitching kinetics in bulk polymers. The dispersion of DASAs conjugated to such flexible oligomers into solid polymer matrices allows for more effective and tunable DASA photoswitching in stiff polymers, such as poly(methyl methacrylate), without requiring modifications of the matrix. The photoswitching of conjugates with varying polymer molecular weight, linker type, and architecture is characterized via time-dependent UV–vis spectroscopy in organic solvents and blended into polymethacrylate films. In addition, DASA-functionalized polydimethylsiloxane networks, accessible via the same synthetic route, provide an alternative solution for achieving fast and efficient DASA photoswitching in the bulk owing to their intrinsic softness and flexibility. These findings may contribute to the development of DASA-functionalized materials with better tunable, more effective, and more reversible modulation of their optical properties.

  • Item type:Article
    ID code:80244
    Dates:
    Date
    Event
    August 2022
    Published
    9 April 2022
    Published Online
    9 April 2022
    Accepted
    Subjects:Science > Chemistry
    Department:Faculty of Science > Pure and Applied Chemistry
    Depositing user: Pure Administrator
    Date deposited:21 Apr 2022 09:49
    Last modified:25 Apr 2024 01:27
    URI:https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/id/eprint/80244
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