A photoresponsive controlled adsorption system based on a porous coordination polymer (PCP) was fabricated, using azobenzene tethered with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG-AB) as macromolecular guests. Specific adsorption behavior of trans-PEG-AB into the nanochannels of a PCP was observed in an EtOH medium. When this composite was irradiated with UV light in EtOH, isomerization of PEG-AB from the trans to the cis form resulted in release of PEG-AB because of the large changes in the molecular shape and solubility of PEG-AB. Subsequent visible light irradiation induced photoisomerization of PEG-AB, which led to readsorption of PEG-AB into the nanochannels.In recent years, controllable encapsulationrelease systems using porous and capsule materials operated by external stimuli, such as heat, pH, and light, have attracted great interest in materials science.14 Intelligent hostguest systems that can be reversibly switched in a controlled manner have enormous potential for innovative applications such as in energy harvesting and storage, in controlled-release delivery of drugs, and in the development of nanoscale optical and molecular electronics devices.
57Porous coordination polymers (PCPs), composed of metal ions and bridging organic ligands, have recently emerged as an important family of porous materials because of their unique structural and functional properties. 812 PCPs have highly regular and designable nanopores that can be used for storage, separation, and catalysis. In particular, developing new PCPbased carrier systems for controlled release is of current interest.13,14 Because of their nontoxic nature, imaging properties, and capability for large drug loadings, PCPs are suitable candidates as drug-delivery carriers.
13,14Herein, we report a photoresponsive reversible encapsulationrelease system using [Zn 2 (terephthalate) 2 (triethylenediamine)] (1) 15 and an azobenzene derivative (Figure 1). The key in this work is appropriate design of the guest azobenzene molecule, in which modification of azobenzene with poly-(ethylene glycol) (PEG) at the 4,4¤-position affords large differences in the shape and solubility upon cistrans isomerization. In this system, irradiation with UV and visible light could reversibly switch the hostguest adsorption as a result of isomerization of the PEG-tethered azobenzene (PEG-AB) (Figure 1).PEG-AB was synthesized by the reaction of 4,4¤-dihydroxyazobenzene 16 with tetra(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ether tosylate. 17 We prepared various PEG-AB solutions, such as MeOH, EtOH, acetone, n-hexane, tetrahydrofuran, dimethylformamide, dichloromethane, toluene, diethyl ether, and 1,4-dioxane, and attempted to incorporate PEG-AB into 1 via liquid-phase adsorption (Figure 2). Successful incorporation of PEG-AB was only observed in EtOH, where the yellow-colored solution of PEG-AB became colorless after mixing with 1 (Figure 2). This is probably because of the relatively low solubility of PEG-AB in EtOH compared with the other solvents. The resulting yellow precipitate was isolated by filtr...