Photoswitching Conduction in Framework Materials

Light is an attractive non-invasive stimulus that permits the activation and control of properties and functions in precise and tunable ways. It inspired scientists and engineers to develop different applications, including those based on conductivity, magnetism or reactivity, and to design light-responsive materials that can sense, adapt, and self-heal under illumination. Often, photoactive molecules that can reversibly undergo photoisomerization serve as the key component to achieve light-switching of functionalities in advanced materials for reconfigurable electronics or light-controlled information storage and processing. However, when used in bulk or solution, they face limitations such as aggregation or restricted isomerization. Their integration into frameworks materials overcomes these challenges, paving the way for new photoprogrammed materials. This review shows the potential of framework materials for light-switched conduction, focusing specifically on proton and electron conduction photoswitching. This work reviews the recent progress in state-of-the-art and explains the mechanisms driving the photoresponse, including the Grotthuss mechanism for proton transport, the hopping mechanism for electron conduction, and other charge transfer (CT) pathways. ... mehrStrategies that are employed to improve photoswitchable conduction are elaborated. In the end, this work discusses ongoing challenges and provide an outlook into potential future directions for efficient property implementation in new materials and devices.