Editors: Dr Mukul Kumar Baruah, Dr Rahul Kanti Nath & Dr Joyobrato Nath (2025)

ISBN: 97978-93-94174-62-7

Photomeltable Azobenzene Materials: Design, Synthesis, Mechanism and Applications

Department of Chemistry, University of Science & Technology Meghalaya, Ri-Bhoi, Meghalaya 793101, India

In this chapter, we explain why scientists are developing azobenzene compounds that can melt when exposed to visible light. First, we give a brief introduction to photoswitches—molecules that change their shape or behavior when they absorb light—and the materials that use them. Then, we describe how photomelting works and how these special molecules were designed and improved over time. Photoswitches are special molecules that can switch back and forth between two (or more) forms when exposed to light. Some materials made with these molecules can change their physical state—like melting—without changing temperature, just by shining light on them. These light-responsive materials, called photomeltable materials, are attracting growing interest because they can be used in many technologies, such as solar thermal fuels (STFs), photoresists, reworkable adhesives, and photoactuators. Most photomeltable materials are based on azobenzene, a well-known photoswitch. However, traditional azobenzene compounds usually respond only to ultraviolet (UV) light, which has some drawbacks. This challenge inspired scientists to design new types of azobenzene derivatives that respond to visible light instead.

*Corresponding author; e-mail: golammohiuddin.ustm@gmail.com

Cite this Chapter: Marufa Siddiqua and Golam Mohiuddin. 2025. Photomeltable Azobenzene Materials: Design, Synthesis, Mechanism and Applications. In: Mukul Kumar Baruah, Rahul Kanti Nath and Joyobrato Nath (Eds.), Transdisciplinary Science: Mapping the Future of Research. Excellent Publishers, India. pp. 143-166. doi: https://doi.org/10.20546/978-93-94174-62-7_14