Unlocking Multi-photoresponse in Phenothiazine Derivatives Through Photoinduced Radical and Keto-Enol Tautomerism

Abstract

Open AccessCCS ChemistryCOMMUNICATIONS13 Aug 2024Unlocking Multi-photoresponse in Phenothiazine Derivatives Through Photoinduced Radical and Keto-Enol Tautomerism Duo Xu, Tao Wang, Shitai Liu, Guiqiang Pu, Jie Yang, Manman Fang, Xiaogang Liu and Zhen Li Duo Xu Joint School of National University of Singapore and Tianjin University, International Campus of Tianjin University, Binhai New City, Fuzhou 350207 Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543 , Tao Wang Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543 , Shitai Liu Joint School of National University of Singapore and Tianjin University, International Campus of Tianjin University, Binhai New City, Fuzhou 350207 Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117585 , Guiqiang Pu Joint School of National University of Singapore and Tianjin University, International Campus of Tianjin University, Binhai New City, Fuzhou 350207 Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543 , Jie Yang Institute of Molecular Aggregation Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 , Manman Fang *Corresponding authors: E-mail Address: [email protected] E-mail Address: [email protected] E-mail Address: [email protected] Institute of Molecular Aggregation Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 , Xiaogang Liu *Corresponding authors: E-mail Address: [email protected] E-mail Address: [email protected] E-mail Address: [email protected] Joint School of National University of Singapore and Tianjin University, International Campus of Tianjin University, Binhai New City, Fuzhou 350207 Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543 and Zhen Li *Corresponding authors: E-mail Address: [email protected] E-mail Address: [email protected] E-mail Address: [email protected] Joint School of National University of Singapore and Tianjin University, International Campus of Tianjin University, Binhai New City, Fuzhou 350207 Institute of Molecular Aggregation Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 Hubei Key Lab on Organic and Polymeric Opto-Electronic Materials, Department of Chemistry, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072 Cite this: CCS Chemistry. 2024;0:1–11https://doi.org/10.31635/ccschem.024.202404450 SectionsSupplemental MaterialAboutAbstractPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail Achieving photochromism, photodeformation, and photoinduced room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) simultaneously in a single type of molecule-doped film is a complex and challenging task. Here, we introduce an efficient design strategy that utilizes dicarbonyl as a bridge linking between phenothiazine (PTZ) units, thereby enabling a synergistic multi-photoresponse upon photoactivation. Our study reveals that thin films of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) doped with five PTZ derivatives (DPTZCn: n = 1–5) show photoactivated RTP. Notably, the DPTZC1 variant in PVA film uniquely undergoes photoactivated macroscopic deformation and displays enhanced photoluminescence efficiency compared to its PTZ counterparts (DPTZCn: n = 2–5) in PVA films. Further photophysical analysis indicates that the exceptional performance of DPTZC1 stems from the combined effects of keto-enol tautomerism and matrix rigidification, which also facilitate the generation of photoinduced radicals in DPTZC1 in the PVA film. We investigate the potential bionic applications of the versatile DPTZC1, providing insights into the design of intelligent, photodriven materials based on RTP. Download figure Download PowerPoint Introduction Photoresponsive properties such as photoinduced room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP), photodeformation, and photochromism, have been extensively studied for their potential in areas such as photodriven soft robotics and chemical sensors.1–15 However, integrating these properties within a single type of molecule-doped film remains a r