Maximizing photoresponsive efficiency by isolating metal−organic polyhedra into confined nanoscaled spaces

Photoresponsive metal−organic polyhedra (PMOPs) have attracted expanding interests due to their modular nature with tunable functionality and variable responsive behaviors tailored conveniently by external-stimulus. However, their photoresponsive efficiency is often compromised after activation because of desorption-triggered aggregation into bulk PMOPs, which limits their utility in stimuli-responsive applications. Here, we report a case system that can overcome the aggregation problem and achieve maximized photoresponsive efficiency by polyhedral isolation in the nanoscaled spaces of mesoporous silica (MS). Through confinement, amount-controllable PMOPs are well dispersed in the nanoscaled spaces of MS, avoiding aggregation that commonly takes places in bulk PMOPs. Furthermore, reversible trans/cis isomerization of photoresponsive groups can be realized freely during ultraviolet/visible light irradiation, maximizing control over photoresponsive guest adsorption behaviors. Remarkably, after trans/cis isomerization, the confined PMOP-1 shows 48.2% of change in adsorption amount for propene with small molecular size and 43.9% for brilliant blue G (BBG) with large molecular size, which is significantly higher than that over bulk PMOP-1 with 11.2% for propene and 7.8% for BBG, respectively. Therefore, our work paves a way for the design and construction of multifunctional composite materials toward efficient stimuli-responsive needs.