Reversible Regulation of Polar Gas Molecules by Azobenzene-Based Photoswitchable Metal-Organic Framework Thin Films.

The development of tunable molecule separation membranes requires materials with remote controllability and ultra-high separation capability. In this paper, a novel photoswitchable metal organic framework (MOF) thin film (Cu 2 (AzoBPDC) 2 ) was prepared by liquid phase epitaxial layer-by-layer assembly to realize the reversible remote-controlled switching. The azobenzene side groups in the Cu 2 (AzoBPDC) 2 thin film showed excellent reversible photoswitching performance under UV (365 nm) and Vis (450 nm) irradiation, achieving the remote-controlled mode of the diffusion flux of polar gas molecules in the MOF thin film.