Light-Responsive Supramolecular Liquid-Crystalline Metallacycle for Orthogonal Multimode Photopatterning

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2024 Jan 22;63(4):e202315061. doi: 10.1002/anie.202315061. Epub 2023 Nov 29.

Abstract

The development of multimode photopatterning systems based on supramolecular coordination complexes (SCCs) is considerably attractive in supramolecular chemistry and materials science, because SCCs can serve as promising platforms for the incorporation of multiple functional building blocks. Herein, we report a light-responsive liquid-crystalline metallacycle that is constructed by coordination-driven self-assembly. By exploiting its fascinating liquid crystal features, bright emission properties, and facile photocyclization capability, a unique system with spatially-controlled fluorescence-resonance energy transfer (FRET) is built through the introduction of a photochromic spiropyran derivative, which led to the realization of the first example of a liquid-crystalline metallacycle for orthogonal photopatterning in three-modes, namely holography, fluorescence, and photochromism.

Keywords: Liquid Crystal; Metallacycle; Multimode Photopatterning; Supramolecular Chemistry; Supramolecular Coordination Complexs.