Light-Driven Molecular-Crystal Actuators: Rapid and Reversible Bending of Rodlike Mixed Crystals of Diarylethene Derivatives

摘要

Piezoelectric crystals are useful in industrial and consumer applications because of their special characteristics: they can be bent by electricity. But the crystals require a wire connection so that the electricity can be supplied. This wire connection prevents their use in water and reduction of their size to the micrometer scale. Herein, we report on wireless molecular-crystal actuators, which work upon photoirradia-tion. Rodlike mixed crystals of 1-(5-methyl-2-phenyl-4-thia-zolyl)-2-(5-methyl-2-p-tolyl-4-thiazolyl)perfluorocyclopen-tene (la) and 1,2-(5-methyl-2-p-tolyl-4-thiazolyl)perfluoro-cyclopentene (2 a; Scheme 1) with sizes ranging from micro- meters to millimeters were found to exhibit rapid, reversible, and fatigue-resistant bending upon alternate irradiation with UV (365 nm) and visible (> 500 nm) light.