Control of the selectivity of photochemical reactions is a challenging task because such reactions involve high-energy excited-state species. Traditionally, this has been done via imposing environmental restrictions on the reactive molecule using organized and constrained media. In our work, we have developed a new fundamental approach toward controlling photochemical reactivity using adaptive, liquid crystalline (LC) host media. Uniform alignment of photoreactive guest molecules in the LC media enables carrying out selective excitation of a specific electronic transition in the guest molecules using the plane-polarized light. Thus, photochemical reactions can be controlled via spatially selective excitation rather than imposing environmental restrictions on the photoreactant. As a model, we studied photochemistry control in a molecule with two photoreactive centers comprising cyclopropenone and barrelene moieties. These and other recent results will be discussed in this presentation.

Photochemistry in the liquid crystalline media

ACS Spring 2022

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