Cold photo-carving of halogen-bonded co-crystals of a dye and a volatile co-former using visible light.
Nat Chem
; 14(5): 574-581, 2022 05.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-35361911
ABSTRACT
The formation of co-crystals by the assembly of molecules with complementary molecular recognition functionalities is a popular strategy to design or improve a range of solid-state properties, including those relevant for pharmaceuticals, photo- or thermoresponsive materials and organic electronics. Here, we report halogen-bonded co-crystals of a fluorinated azobenzene derivative with a volatile component-either dioxane or pyrazine-that can be cut, carved or engraved with low-power visible light. This cold photo-carving process is enabled by the co-crystallization of a light-absorbing azo dye with a volatile component, which gives rise to materials that can be selectively disassembled with micrometre precision using low-power, non-burning laser irradiation or a commercial confocal microscope. The ability to shape co-crystals in three dimensions using laser powers of 0.5-20 mW-substantially lower than those used for metals, ceramics or polymers-is rationalized by photo-carving that targets the disruption of weak supramolecular interactions, rather than the covalent bonds or ionic structures targeted by conventional laser beam or focused ion beam machining processes.
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Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2022
Tipo de documento:
Article