Photodeformable Spherical Hybrid Nanoparticles
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2006, 128, 14250—14251
The first synthesis of spherical nanoparitcles (~20 nm) of a bridged polysilsesquioxane was reported. We proposed that their spontaneous formation results from the unique shape of the monomer which has lead to a more general paradigm for the control of particle shape by the rational design of molecular building blocks for bridged polysilsesquioxanes.
The hybrid nanoparticles incorporate a photoresponsive fragment, the syn-ht-7-substituted coumarin photodimer. Photocleavage of these bridged dimers results in “melting” and deformation of nanoparticles by direct irradiation with a UV light (254 nm). These materials are being developed for photoinduced delivery systems and for use in photomechanical devices.
