> <i>They opted for azobenzene as the photoswitching unit and a barbituric acid-based merocyanine as the core responsible for hydrogen-bond-directed supramolecular polymorphism.</i><p>ScholarlyArticle: "Light-intensity-dependent out-of-equilibrium processes toward dimensionally distinct nanopolymorphs" (2025)
<a href="https://www.cell.com/chem/fulltext/S2451-9294(25)00409-7" rel="nofollow">https://www.cell.com/chem/fulltext/S2451-9294(25)00409-7</a> :<p>> ~Abstract: [...] <i>In this study, by integrating supramolecular polymorphism with azobenzene photoisomerization, we constructed a light-driven out-of-equilibrium supramolecular system that exhibits dynamic transitions between three distinct assembly states with clearly different dimensionalities, simply by tuning the light intensity. By employing high-speed atomic force microscopy, we directly visualized and elucidated the underlying mechanisms of these dynamic structural transformations. Our findings provide a new platform for designing artificial materials that approach biological systems in adaptability and function, paving the way toward advanced, highly responsive smart molecular materials.</i>