Co-reporter: Jian-Zhen Liao, Xiao-Yuan Wu, Jian-Ping Yong, Hai-Long Zhang, Wen-Bing Yang, Rongmin Yu, and Can-Zhong Lu
pp: 4952-4958
Publication Date(Web):September 14, 2015
DOI: 10.1021/acs.cgd.5b00857
Two rare copper-based host–guest crystalline compounds were synthesized with different photoresponsive reversible visible light photochromism as a result of blending of distinctively different functional components, naphthalenediimides (NDIs) tectons and polyoxometalates. A slight adjustment of the substituent of the diimide nitrogens, from rigid to semirigid ligands, will result in different modes of anion−π interactions, which eventually lead to different structures and different sensitivities to visible light. The unique anion−π interactions impart significant impacts on the structures of the compounds and, to some extent, the ability to gain or lose electrons of the NDIs of the compounds, which is evident from subtle changes in photochromic sensitivity and reduction potentials; if compounds bear more and stronger anion−π interactions, this might dramatically enhance the compounds’ stability and diminish the π-electron-deficient property of the core naphthalene ring of the NDIs.