Photoswitchable Sol–Gel Transitions and Catalysis Mediated by Polymer Networks with Coumarin‐Decorated Cu₂₄L₂₄ Metal–Organic Cages as Junctions

Abstract

Abstract Photoresponsive materials that change in response to light have been studied for a range of applications. These materials are often metastable during irradiation, returning to their pre‐irradiated state after removal of the light source. Herein, we report a polymer gel comprising poly(ethylene glycol) star polymers linked by Cu 24 L 24 metal–organic cages/polyhedra (MOCs) with coumarin ligands. In the presence of UV light, a photosensitizer, and a hydrogen donor, this “polyMOC” material can be reversibly switched between Cu II , Cu I , and Cu 0 . The instability of the MOC junctions in the Cu I and Cu 0 states leads to network disassembly, forming Cu I /Cu 0 solutions, respectively, that are stable until re‐oxidation to Cu II and supramolecular gelation. This reversible disassembly of the polyMOC network can occur in the presence of a fixed covalent second network generated in situ by copper‐catalyzed azide‐alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC), providing interpenetrating supramolecular and covalent networks.