title: Dynamic behavior of molecular switches in crystal under pressure and its reflection on tactile sensing.
abstract: Molecular switches have attracted increasing interest in the past decades, due to their broad applications in data storage, optical gating, smart windows, and so on. However, up till now, most of the molecular switches are operated in solutions or polymer blends with the stimuli of light, heat, and electric fields. Herein, we demonstrate the first pressure-controllable molecular switch of a benzo[1,3]oxazine OX-1 in crystal. Distinct from the light-triggered tautomerization between two optical states, applying hydrostatic pressure on the OX-1 crystal results in large-scale and continuous states across the whole visible light range (from ∼430 to ∼700 nm), which has not been achieved with other stimuli. Based on detailed and systematic control experiments and theoretical calculation, the preliminary requirements and mechanism of pressure-dependent tautomerization are fully discussed. The contributions of molecular tautomerization to the large-scale optical modulation are also stressed. Finally, the importance of studying pressure-responsive materials on understanding tactile sensing is also discussed and a possible mechanotransduction mode is proposed.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, Jilin University , Changchun, Jilin 130012, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Yu-Mo
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shaoyin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Binhong
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Minjie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Sean Xiao-An
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D048588:Benzoxazines / Q000737:chemistry*; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D006874:Hydrostatic Pressure; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D055620:Optical Phenomena; D010078:Oxazines / Q000737:chemistry*; D011312:Pressure; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D014110:Touch
chemical_list: D048588:Benzoxazines; D010078:Oxazines