title: Smart adsorbents with reversible photo-regulated molecular switches for selective adsorption and efficient regeneration.
abstract: Traditional adsorbents with fixed pore surface properties are unlikely to achieve both selective adsorption and efficient desorption, which are extremely desirable in adsorption processes. Here we report a new class of smart adsorbents by introducing photo-responsive azobenzene derivatives to pore interiors of mesoporous silica. The azobenzene molecules are applied as ON-OFF switches for active sites, and are reversibly regulated by UV/visible light irradiation, thus endowing the adsorbents with unprecedented properties to achieve selective adsorption and efficient desorption.
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 210009, China. liuxq@njtech.edu.cn lbsun@njtech.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 210009, China. liuxq@njtech.edu.cn lbsun@njtech.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 210009, China. liuxq@njtech.edu.cn lbsun@njtech.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Piao-Ping
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 210009, China. liuxq@njtech.edu.cn lbsun@njtech.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xiao-Qin
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 210009, China. liuxq@njtech.edu.cn lbsun@njtech.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 210009, China. liuxq@njtech.edu.cn lbsun@njtech.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Lin-Bing
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Sun