A photoresponsive azobenzene-bridged cubic silsesquioxane network

作者：Guo Sufang; Okubo Tatsuya; Kuroda Kazuyuki; Shimojima Atsushi

来源：Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology, 2016, 79(2): 262-269.

DOI：10.1007/s10971-016-4074-4

• Photoresponsive materials
• Inorganic-organic hybrids
• Azobenzene
• Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane

An azobenzene (AZO)-bridged cubic silsesquioxane network exhibiting reversible photoisomerization behavior in nonpolar solvents has been prepared via hydrosilylation reaction between 4,4'-diallyloxy-azobenzene and octahydridosilsesquioxane (H8Si8O12; H-POSS). Approximately 70 % of the corner Si-H groups of H-POSS are reacted to form a three-dimensional gel network while maintaining the cubic siloxane structure. The dried gel has a high thermal stability, which is attributed to the highly cross-linked cubic silsesquioxane network where AZOs are covalently incorporated in the main chain. The gel exhibits reversible swelling behavior in nonpolar solvents during wetting-drying cycles. In toluene, a large extent of reversible trans-cis isomerization of the AZO moiety is observed. These results are promising for the design of a new class of photoresponsive materials applicable in host-guest chemistry.
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• 出版日期2016-8