Light-driven Mechanical Property Modulation in Azobenzene-crosslinked Slide-ring Polymers

Xiaoqing Wang; Qimo Mao; Shiyu Zhao; Maolin Wang; Chenjuan Yu; Yuping Wang

doi:10.1007/s10118-026-3815-2

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Light-driven Mechanical Property Modulation in Azobenzene-crosslinked Slide-ring Polymers

RESEARCH ARTICLE | Updated：2026-10-23

- Light-driven Mechanical Property Modulation in Azobenzene-crosslinked Slide-ring Polymers
- Chinese Journal of Polymer Science Vol. 44, Pages: 1-9(2026)
- Affiliations：
  
  a.Stoddart Institute of Molecular Science, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
  b.Zhejiang-Israel Joint Laboratory of Self-Assembling Functional Materials, ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
  c.State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
- Author bio：
  
  y.p.wang@zju.edu.cn
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1007/s10118-026-3815-2
  CLC：
- Received：07 April 2026，
  
  Revised：2026-06-22，
  
  Accepted：12 July 2026，
  
  Online First：23 October 2026，
  
  Published：2026-08
- Accepted：
Scan QR Code
Wang, X.; Mao, Q.; Zhao, S.; Wang, M.; Yu, C.; Wang, Y. Light-driven mechanical property modulation in azobenzene-crosslinked slide-ring polymers. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10118-026-3815-2

Xiaoqing Wang, Qimo Mao, Shiyu Zhao, et al. Light-driven Mechanical Property Modulation in Azobenzene-crosslinked Slide-ring Polymers[J/OL]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 441-9.
Wang, X.; Mao, Q.; Zhao, S.; Wang, M.; Yu, C.; Wang, Y. Light-driven mechanical property modulation in azobenzene-crosslinked slide-ring polymers. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10118-026-3815-2 DOI：

Xiaoqing Wang, Qimo Mao, Shiyu Zhao, et al. Light-driven Mechanical Property Modulation in Azobenzene-crosslinked Slide-ring Polymers[J/OL]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 441-9. DOI： 10.1007/s10118-026-3815-2.

摘要

Abstract

The rational design of stim

uli-responsive materials exhibiting tunable mechanical properties represents a critical strategy for preventing structural failure and extending service lifetime. Slide-ring polymers with their dynamically mobile crosslinks provide an ideal architectural platform for the development of mechanically adaptive systems. Herein

we fabricate photo-responsive mechanically adaptive slide-ring materials (PSR) employing azobenzene as crosslinkers. Mechanical characterization reveals substantial light-induced enhancement in performance

including breaking strain

tensile strength

and toughness. The materials subjected to photo-irradiation also demonstrate superior energy dissipation and damping efficiency. Through comprehensive mechanical characterization

we reveal a dual photoregulation mechanism in which light-induced

cis

-azobenzene formation (1) enhances interchain hydrogen bonding

via

strong local dipole moments and localized conformational rearrangements

and (2) expands the internal free volume

via

the steric hindrance of the

cis

-isomer

thereby unlocking the mobility of crown ether rings in the slide-ring architecture. This work establishes a new design principle for photoresponsive polymers

whose mechanical properties can be precisely modulated through light-controlled molecular rearrangements.

关键词

Keywords

references

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