Isomerization of spiropyran photoswitches in microphase-separated block copolymers.

ABSTRACT: Molecular photoswitches are incorporated into materials to impart photoresponsiveness, enabling a wide range of fascinating applications. Although their surrounding environments within materials strongly influence the photoresponsive and thermally reversible behaviors through physical and chemical interactions, these effects remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigate the two-way photoisomerization and thermal back-isomerization of spiropyran (SP)-a representative photoswitch that undergoes large polarity changes upon the reversible isomerization to merocyanine (MC)-chemically integrated into diblock copolymers (dBCPs) exhibiting either ordered or disordered microphase separation. We synthesize a series of dBCPs consisting of a high-glass-transition-temperature (T _g

SUBMITTER: Imato K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12707078 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature