Chapter 19
Photoinduced Morphological
Transformation and Photodriven
Movement of Objects Using
Self-assembly of Amphiphilic
Diarylethene in Water
Kenji Higashiguchi and Kenji Matsuda
Abstract Self-assembly of amphiphilic photochromic diarylethene having
tri(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ether chains was examined in water from the
viewpoint of photoinduced morphological transformation and photodriven movement of objects. Self-assembled supramolecular architectures of the amphiphilic
diarylethenes undergo photoinduced macroscopic morphological transformation
upon alternate irradiation with UV and visible light. The photoreversible morphological change can be rationalized as a photoinduced phase transition between the
high- and low-temperature phases of the lower critical solution temperature (LCST)
transition. By using a depletion force in a methylcellulose aqueous solution, an
amphiphilic diarylethene hierarchically assembled into bundled fibers, which showed
shrinking of more than 100 µm under visible light irradiation. Linearly polarized
light induced anisotropic growth of the assembled architecture and the diffusive
motion of added polystyrene beads was suppressed in the perpendicular direction to the polarized light. The movement of many objects tracing the movement
of a UV-irradiation spot was achieved with the assistance of the photogenerated
supramolecular architecture.
Keywords Diarylethene · Supramolecular architecture · Tri(ethylene glycol)
monomethyl ether · LCST · Depletion force · Brownian motion
19.1 Introduction
Amphiphilic compounds form self-assembled architectures in water through intermolecular hydrophobic interactions. When the amphiphilic molecules are capable
of hydrogen bonding and π –π stacking, the self-assembled structures are affected
accordingly. The nanostructures of the supramolecular architecture have been studied
K. Higashiguchi · K. Matsuda (B)
Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering,
Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
e-mail: kmatsuda@sbchem.kyoto-u.ac.jp
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020
H. Miyasaka et al. (eds.), Photosynergetic Responses in Molecules
and Molecular Aggregates, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-5451-3_19
327
Photoinduced Morphological
Transformation and Photodriven
Movement of Objects Using
Self-assembly of Amphiphilic
Diarylethene in Water
Kenji Higashiguchi and Kenji Matsuda
Abstract Self-assembly of amphiphilic photochromic diarylethene having
tri(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ether chains was examined in water from the
viewpoint of photoinduced morphological transformation and photodriven movement of objects. Self-assembled supramolecular architectures of the amphiphilic
diarylethenes undergo photoinduced macroscopic morphological transformation
upon alternate irradiation with UV and visible light. The photoreversible morphological change can be rationalized as a photoinduced phase transition between the
high- and low-temperature phases of the lower critical solution temperature (LCST)
transition. By using a depletion force in a methylcellulose aqueous solution, an
amphiphilic diarylethene hierarchically assembled into bundled fibers, which showed
shrinking of more than 100 µm under visible light irradiation. Linearly polarized
light induced anisotropic growth of the assembled architecture and the diffusive
motion of added polystyrene beads was suppressed in the perpendicular direction to the polarized light. The movement of many objects tracing the movement
of a UV-irradiation spot was achieved with the assistance of the photogenerated
supramolecular architecture.
Keywords Diarylethene · Supramolecular architecture · Tri(ethylene glycol)
monomethyl ether · LCST · Depletion force · Brownian motion
19.1 Introduction
Amphiphilic compounds form self-assembled architectures in water through intermolecular hydrophobic interactions. When the amphiphilic molecules are capable
of hydrogen bonding and π –π stacking, the self-assembled structures are affected
accordingly. The nanostructures of the supramolecular architecture have been studied
K. Higashiguchi · K. Matsuda (B)
Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering,
Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
e-mail: kmatsuda@sbchem.kyoto-u.ac.jp
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020
H. Miyasaka et al. (eds.), Photosynergetic Responses in Molecules
and Molecular Aggregates, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-5451-3_19
327