title: Photoswitching in azobenzene self-assembled monolayers capped on zinc oxide: nanodots vs nanorods.
abstract: We report the synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of nanohybrid structures consisting of an azobenzene compound grafted on the surface of zinc oxide nanoparticles. Characteristic bathochromic shifts indicate that the azobenzene photochromic molecules self-assemble onto the surface of the nanocrystals. The extent of packing is dependent on the shape of the nanoparticle. ZnO nanorods, with flat facets, enable a tighter organization of the molecules in the self-assembled monolayer than in the case of nanodots that display a more curvated shape. Consistently, the efficiency of photochromic switching of the self-assembled monolayer on ZnO nanoparticles is also shown to be strongly affected by nanoparticle shape.
authors.affiliation: CINaM, UPR 3118 CNRS - Université de la Méditerranée, Campus de Luminy, Case 913, Marseille 13288, France. smschem69@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Syed Mujtaba
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Cyril
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martini
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ackermann
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fages