Authors
Conrad Averdunk, Hermann A Wegner
Published in
Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English). Pages e8543657. Sep 24, 2026. Epub Sep 24, 2026.
Abstract
Understanding and translating molecular-scale switching of azobenzenes into a macroscopic, functional response in the solid state remains a challenge. Herein, the photochemical and thermal properties of different substituted p-Ohexyl-azobenzenes were systematically investigated to establish structure-property relationships to optimize the performance of azobenzene (AB) based materials for energy storage applications. The influence of various alkyl substituents in different positions on the AB was screened to address the effect of increasing bulkiness on the multidimensional parameters required for efficient energy storage. For example, substituents in the meta- and para-positions increased the isomerization enthalpy (∆Hiso.) due to attractive intermolecular interactions; 2,6-F- and 2,6-Me-substitution induces an increased half-life, however, it also a reduced isomerization enthalpy. Substitution in ortho- and meta-positions leads to a suppressed crystallization process and ineffective energy release. Interestingly, it was demonstrated that even sterically demanding para-substituents exhibit sharp crystallization behavior. Additionally, photoisomerization efficiency in the condensed state was investigated, which revealed a strong relation with the melting points (Tmelt.) of the solid (E)-isomers. These systematic findings connecting photochemistry, thermal properties, and phase change parameters will be a solid foundation for the rational development of new AB-based materials also beyond energy storage applications.
PMID:
42779356
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 24 Sep 2026.
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