Mechanistic study on the structure–property relationship of flexible organic crystals

Zhao, Hongbo; Zhang, Xiunan; Chen, Kui; Wu, Wenbo; Li, Shuyu; Wang, Ting; Huang, Xin; Wang, Na; Zhou, Lanlan; Hao, Hongxun

doi:10.1039/d3ce00108c

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…S19†). 62–64 Nanoindentation on the (010) plane showed that the elastic modulus ( E ) and hardness ( H ) of crystals of form I are E = 6.18 ± 0.01 GPa and H = 0.37 ± 0.02 GPa (Fig. S26†), which places the CTBB crystals in the category of soft materials.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trimodal operation of a robust smart organic crystal

Wu,

Chen,

et al. 2024

Chem. Sci.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trimodal operation of a robust smart organic crystal

Wu,

Chen,

et al. 2024

Chem. Sci.

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“…Flexibility is an important basis for crystals to maintain crystal integrity in response to various stimuli. 39 Here, the flexibility of AP was first investigated under a stereomicroscope (Figure 2a−c). It turned out that the crystal could be easily bent into a ring shape, and when the force was withdrawn, it would quickly return to its initial straight state (Movie S1).…”

Section: ■ Results and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Flexibility is an important basis for crystals to maintain crystal integrity in response to various stimuli . Here, the flexibility of AP was first investigated under a stereomicroscope (Figure a–c).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multistimulus-Responsive Cocrystals of Azobenzene Derivatives with Excellent Elastic Deformation Ability

Zhu,

Wei,

Chen

et al. 2024

Crystal Growth & Design

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Stimulus-responsive materials have promising potential applications like actuators, sensors, and flexible electronics, which are important for realizing multidimensional control and improving atomic utilization in future applications. Here, centimeter-scale cocrystals of azobenzene derivatives with excellent elastic deformation ability were designed and prepared. The obtained crystal exhibited a range of striking behaviors, such as cracking, curling, and jumping upon heating and cooling. The mechanism was investigated through detailed crystallographic analysis, experimental tests, and theoretical calculations. The results show that the π-stacking structure formed along the long axis endows the crystals with the ability to resist external forces through elastic deformation, and the anisotropic expansion and contraction of the lattice in response to temperature changes are the source of a series of thermal abrupt behaviors. Furthermore, the photoresponsive property of 4-((4-(propoxy)phenyl)diazenyl)pyridine (APOC) is inherited in the cocrystal, which could rapidly twist under UV illumination. Further simulation and characterization reveal that the bulk stress tilted to the long axis caused by photoisomerization of the host molecules leads to torsion of the crystal. Finally, we successfully applied the crystal as an optical switch in a circuit, taking advantage of its flexibility and photoresponsive properties.

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“…In addition, researchers have studied multifunctional molecular crystals. ,,− Polymorphic crystals contain the same molecules arranged in different geometries within their unit cells, resulting in , significant differences in properties such as shape, color, melting point, and solubility. For example, 5-methyl-2-[(2-nitrophenyl)amino]-3-thiophenecarbonitrile has been reported to have seven polymorphs with different colors (e.g., red, orange, and yellow) and shapes (e.g., needle, prism, and plate).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Photosalience and Thermal Phase Transitions of Azobenzene- and Crown Ether-Based Complexes in Polymorphic Crystals

Wang,

Lin,

Bhunia

et al. 2023

J. Am. Chem. Soc.

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Stimuli-responsive molecular crystals have attracted considerable attention as promising smart materials with applications in various fields such as sensing, actuation, and optoelectronics. Understanding the structure−mechanical property relationships, however, remains largely unexplored when it comes to functionalizing these organic crystals. Here, we report three polymorphic crystals (Forms A, B, and C) formed by the non-threaded complexation of a dibenzo[18]crown-6 (DB18C6) ether ring and an azobenzene-based ammonium cation, each exhibiting distinct thermal phase transitions, photoinduced deformations, and mechanical behavior. Structural changes on going from Form A to Form B and from Form C to Form B during heating and cooling, respectively, are observed by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. Form A shows photoinduced reversible bending, whereas Form B exhibits isotropic expansion. Form C displays uniaxial negative expansion with a remarkable increase of 44% in thickness under photoirradiation. Force measurements and nanoindentation reveal that the soft crystals of Form A with a low elastic modulus demonstrate a significant photoresponse, attributed to the non-threaded molecular structure, which permits flexibility of the azobenzene unit. This work represents a significant advance in the understanding of the correlation between structure− thermomechanical and structure−photomechanical properties necessary for the development of multi-stimulus-responsive materials with tailored properties.

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Mechanistic study on the structure–property relationship of flexible organic crystals

Abstract: Flexible crystals have attracted extensive attentions for their potential as smart materials, such as flexible field-effect transistors, wearable devices and flexible displayers. Developing flexible materials with specific properties still remains...

Cited by 7 publications

References 32 publications

Trimodal operation of a robust smart organic crystal

Trimodal operation of a robust smart organic crystal

Multistimulus-Responsive Cocrystals of Azobenzene Derivatives with Excellent Elastic Deformation Ability

Photosalience and Thermal Phase Transitions of Azobenzene- and Crown Ether-Based Complexes in Polymorphic Crystals

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