Photoinduced Solid–Liquid Phase Transition and Energy Storage Enabled by the Design of Linked Double Photoswitches

Abstract

We demonstrate an effective design strategy of photoswitchable phase change materials based on the bis-azobenzene scaffold. These compounds display a solid phase in the <i>E</i>,<i>E</i> state and a liquid phase in the <i>Z</i>,<i>Z</i> state, in contrast to their monoazobenzene counterparts that exhibit less controlled phase transition behaviors that are largely influenced by their functional groups.