Tailoring Spiropyran Photoswitch for Polymeric and Supramolecular Systems

Abstract

Although spiropyrans have been studied for over a century, their development remains active, continually showcasing their value in nanotechnology and responsive systems. In this thesis, we investigate how spiropyrans and related photochromic compounds can be integrated into polymeric and supramolecular materials to induce physicochemical changes in material properties. Various photoswitches are explored, along with multiple strategies for incorporating them into materials, including covalent attachment, blending, and self-assembly.Importantly, we highlight not only how photochromes can modulate the properties of their host materials, but also how the materials themselves can influence the behaviour of the photochromes.Across six chapters, we demonstrate the use of photo responsive molecules to control proton transport, induce phase transitions and transient crystallinity, and achieve biocompatibility for potential biomedical applications. We detail the synthesis and characterization of these systems and provide an in-depth analysis of the structure-property relationships that govern their function