Alkyl Chain Length- and Polymorph-Dependent Photomechanochromic Fluorescence of Anthracene Photodimerization in Molecular Crystals: Role of the Lattice Stiffness
Journal
Chemistry - A European Journal
Journal Volume
26
Journal Issue
50
Pages
11511-11521
Date Issued
2020
Author(s)
Kuo, C.-Z.
Hsu, L.-Y.
Chen, Y.-S.
Goto, K.
Maity, S.
Liu, Y.-H.
Shinmyozu, T.
Abstract
Anthracene-pentiptycene hybrid systems 1-Cn, where n refers to the number of carbon atoms in the linear alkyl chain, crystallize in three different polymorphs, denoted Y (yellow), G (green), and B (blue) forms in terms of the fluorescence color. While all Y-form crystals show the same yellow-to-blue fluorescence color response to the photomechanical stress generated by the anthracene [4+4] photodimerization reaction, the four G forms exhibit distinct photomechanofluorochromism (PMFC): from green to blue for G-1-C4, to orange for G-1-C7, to red for G-1-C8, and to red then blue for G-1-C9, and the B forms show no photochromic activity. The intriguing RGB three-color PMFC and abnormal topochemical reactivity of G-1-C9 are attributed to inherent softness of the crystal lattice.
Type
journal article