The generally small Gibbs free energy difference between the Z and E isomers of hydrazone photoswitches has so far precluded their use in photon energy storing applications. Here, we report on a series of cyclic and acyclic hydrazones, which possess varied degrees of ring strain and, hence, stability of E isomers. The photoinduced isomerization and concurrent phase transition of the cyclic hydrazones from a crystalline to a liquid phase result in the storage of a large quantity of energy, comparable to that of azobenzene derivatives. We demonstrate that the macrocyclic photochrome design in combination with phase transition is a promising strategy for molecular solar thermal energy storage applications.

The glass transition temperature (T g ) of a series of polyacrylate-and polymethacrylate-based polymers having bistable hydrazone photoswitches as pendants increases upon photoisomerization. The ensuing photohardening of the polymeric network was corroborated using nanoindentation measurements. The bistability of the switch allowed us to lock-in and sustain multiple T g values in the same polymeric material as a function of the hydrazone switch's Z/E isomer ratio, even at elevated temperatures.

Photoswitches can be employed for various purposes, with the half-life being a crucial parameter to optimize for the desired application. The switching of a photochromic hydrazone functionalized with a C6 alkyl thiolate spacer (C6 HAT) was characterized on a number of metal surfaces. C6 HAT exhibits a half-life of 789 years in solution. Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) was used to study the photoisomerization of the C6 HAT self-assembled monolayers (SAM) on Au, Ag and Cu surfaces. The unique spectroscopic signature of the E isomer at 1580 and 1730 cm-1 in TER spectra allowed for its discrimination from the Z isomer. It was found that C6 HAT switches on Au and Cu surfaces when irradiated with 415 nm, however it cannot isomerize on Ag surfaces, unless higher energy light is used. Based on this finding, and supported by density functional theory calculations, we propose a substrate-mediated photoisomerization mechanism to explain the behavior of C6 HAT on these different metal surfaces. This insight into the hydrazone's switching mechanism on metal surfaces will contribute to the further exploitation of this new family photochromic compounds on metal surfaces. Finally, although we found that the thermal isomerization rate of C6 HAT drastically increases on metal surfaces, the thermal half-life is still 6.9 days on gold, which is longer than the majority of azobenzene-based systems. Figure 1. A. Light induced Z/E isomerization of C6 HAT; B. UV-vis spectra of C6 HAT in toluene (1x 10-5 M) before (solid line) and after irradiation with 410 nm light (dashed line), followed by irradiation with 340 nm light (dotted line).

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A series of bistable hydrazone switches containing alkyl thiolate linkers of various lengths (Cn HAT, n = 3, 8, 10, and 11) were synthesized. We explore the length effect of the carbon chain on the photoisomerization of hydrazone switches using UV-vis spectroscopy and tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS). The conversion efficiency (photostationary state, PSS, after irradiation at 415 or 340 nm) of the isomerization of Cn HAT monolayers on Au rises with increasing length of the alkyl chain, with an optimum result for n-octyl (C8) thiolate or longer linkers. The low PSS415 of C3 HAT is attributed to strong quenching by the metal surface, as confirmed by density functional theory (DFT) calculations based on a one-dimensional double-well model. The partial trap of photo-induced hot carriers in the excited states of C3 HAT in the potential well of Au reduces the lifetime of its excited states. Such calculation results provide insight into the detailed mechanism of surface quenching effect. Furthermore, UV-vis results suggest that after irradiation at 415 nm, Cn HATs cannot isomerize when bound to Ag; higher photon energies are necessary in this case. These results validate the previously proposed substrate-mediated isomerization mechanism.