A wide range of force-coupled reactions have been developed since the emergence of the contemporary field of polymer mechanochemistry. The development of new mechanophores expands the range of applications for force-responsive materials and, importantly, can expand fundamental understanding of force-mediated reactivity. Naphthopyrans are mechanophores that undergo a 6p electrocyclic ring-opening reaction under force to generate intensely colored merocyanines, while electrocyclization often occurs with light or heat under ambient conditions, resulting in loss of color. The synthetically modular naphthopyran mechanophore has been diversified to access mechanochromic polymers with variable colors, fading rates, and even force-dependent multicolor responses. We recently discovered a new class of mechanochemically active naphthopyrans that generates an unusually stable merocyanine dye under mechanical force.

Leveraging the ring-opening reaction of naphthopyran for mechanochromic materials

ACS Spring 2022

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