Photo-induced mode change for CO2 capture/release on spiropyran in a polar-gradient environment

Photo-induced mode change of CO2 capture/release was achieved by a rationally designed system composed of spiropyran introduced into a polar-gradient field in the interlayer of montmorillonite. DFT calculations and CO2 adsorption tests demonstrated that spiropyran can interact with CO2 through not only weak physical interaction such as Coulombic or van der Waals interactions but also electronic interaction, while photo-isomerized merocyanine was in the CO2 release mode. Photo-induced CO2 concentration systems highly contribute to the realization of carbon neutrality, hence, this study could be a breakthrough for the world's environmental issues.