Crystal Structures and Photophysical Properties of 9-Anthracene Carboxylic Acid Derivatives for Photomechanical Applications

Molecular crystals composed of 9-anthracene carboxylic acid (9AC) can undergo reversible light-induced mechanical motions driven by a [4 + 4] photodimerization reaction. This paper explores the structure, photo. physics, and photomechanical response of a family of anthracene carboxylic acid derivatives, with the goal of finding materials that have comparable or improved photomechanical properties. We find that methyl or phenyl substitution at the 10-position leads to a complete loss of photoreactivity due to changes in crystal packing. A series of halogen (F, Cl, Br) 10-substituted 9AC molecules all showed a similar stacked packing motif, but only the fluoro-substituted molecule;was photoreactive in the solid. Its photomechanical response was Similar to that of 9AC but with a much longer recovery time. Extending the carboxylic acid by adding a vinylene group at the 9-position resulted in crystals that showed good photoreactivity and a lack of fracture but no reversibility. Attempts to self consistently rationalize observed trends in terms of excited state lifetimes or steric effects were only partly successful. Balancing factors such as electronic relaxation, steric interactions, and crystal packing present a challenge for engineering photoactive solid-state materials based on molecular crystals.