Light-controlled structural organization of photoactive spirocompounds in Langmuir monolayers

The project is aimed to in-situ reveal structural transformation of photochromic monolayers occurring upon UV-irradiation and dark relaxation. Spirocompounds can change their structural, geometric and optical characteristics under UV-light, however their behavior in organized monolayers on liquid or solid surfaces is still unstudied up to now. Simultaneous measurements of compression isotherms, XRR, GID and UV-Vis spectra of these monolayers in the ground state and under UV-irradiation will allow us to reveal the conditions of molecular reorientation of the studied compounds, to observe the changes of monolayer structure upon opening/closing of spiromolecules, and to explain the discovered photomechanical phenomenon in the 2D-ordered films. These data will provide new possibilities to control the structure and properties of photochromic monolayers using light or mechanical impact, that opens broad prospects to apply these compounds for molecular electronics, photonics, sensorics etc.