Ultrafast Excited States Dynamics of Orthogonal Photoswitches and The Influence of the Environment

Molecular photoswitches are widely used in material sciences, physics, chemistry, and biology. As needs grow more complex, materials have to react than one-dimensionally. The use of multiple at once opens manifold opportunities for further improved complicated systems. However, this requires independent addressability, i.e., orthogonality, reversible processes. Herein, the first study on ultrafast excited state dynamics two orthogonal photoswitches, a push-pull azobenzene donor-acceptor Stenhouse adduct is reported. In order gain detailed insight their interactions mutual influences photoswitching behavior, they addressed individually simultaneously via transient absorption spectroscopy supported by quantum chemical calculations. They show photoswitchability addition, can be 4D printing provide easy access plethora functional devices. Furthermore, environmental examined using different solvents thin films. Both compounds photoisomerize independently when or only little impacts found. Especially vibrational relaxation affected surroundings changing energy dissipation while hardly affecting electronic states involved. simultaneous addressability thereby crucial usage printed microactuators.