PHOTOINDUCED SWITCHING IN NANOCOMPOSITES OF AZOBENZENE AND MOLECULAR-SIEVES

Communication: A model system for the photoinduced rearrangement of ad sorbates in molecular sieves-composites that hold promise as materials with new electronic and optical properties-is the photoinduced cis-tr ans isomerization of azobenzene (Az) in the zeolites AlPO4-5, ZSM-5, a nd silicalite-1. A spectroscopic investigation presented demonstrates that reversible intrazeolite isomerization of Az causes large changes in the optical properties of the composites, e.g., in absorbance and b irefringence, making the materials of interest for optical switching.