Photo-induced mode change for CO 2 capture/release on spiropyran in a polar-gradient environment.

Photo-induced mode change of CO 2 capture/release was achieved by a rationally designed system composed of spiropyran introduced into a polar-gradient field in the interlayer of montmorillonite. DFT calculations and CO 2 adsorption tests demonstrated that spiropyran can interact with CO 2 through not only weak physical interaction such as Coulombic or van der Waals interactions but also electronic interaction, while photo-isomerized merocyanine was in the CO 2 release mode. Photo-induced CO 2 concentration systems highly contribute to the realization of carbon neutrality, hence, this study could be a breakthrough for the world's environmental issues.